A Torah Perspective on the Holocaust and Jewish Suffering

There is perhaps no subject that has been discussed by so many people, from so many different perspectives and intentions, and surrounded by endless ideas and writings, as this terrifying topic. A chill runs through our bones when we attempt to speak about it, and often we recoil from even touching the edge of the horrific events that took place during those dark years. The terrifying rebukes described in the Torah — which, because of our many sins, were fulfilled almost in their entirety, awaken trembling and dread within us when we merely attempt to contemplate the catastrophe that befell the chosen nation, the children of the living God.

Without question, it is beyond human capacity to fully describe everything that happened. No page could contain it all. What pen could possibly write it adequately? What heart could endure recounting it without melting in grief?

Furthermore, we make no claim to be historians or researchers of the Holocaust and its horrors.

Yet while the Holocaust itself is overwhelming beyond comprehension, when viewed as a historical and educational subject — as a lesson for future generations, we bear a double responsibility to reflect upon the question: “What has God done to us?” 

Maimonides writes in the laws of fasting that when suffering comes upon the community, people are obligated to cry out and examine their deeds. This process itself is part of repentance. But if people merely dismiss tragedy as coincidence or “the way of the world,” this is considered cruelty, because it causes them to continue in destructive behavior and can lead to even greater suffering.

In addition, we carry a heavy responsibility toward future generations — especially children and students, to explain what happened through the lens of Torah and the teachings of our sages, according to the spiritual tradition passed down through the generations. Every Torah educator and teacher must therefore grapple with this difficult issue seriously and thoughtfully.

The Uniqueness of the Jewish People

The very uniqueness of the Jewish people is connected to their suffering throughout history. The prophet states: “Only you have I known from all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins.” (Book of Amos)

At first glance, this seems difficult to understand. Why should closeness to God lead to greater suffering?

The answer given by the sages is that a king becomes stricter specifically with those closest to him. Similarly, the Jewish people occupy a unique spiritual role in the world.

The Zohar compares the Jewish people among the nations to the heart within the human body. Just as the heart is the most essential organ yet also the most sensitive and vulnerable, so too the Jewish people are spiritually central yet often endure deeper suffering than other nations. The heart feels pain more intensely precisely because it sustains the entire body.

This idea is also expanded upon in the Kuzari, which describes how the heart experiences the greatest emotional and physical sensitivity compared to the rest of the body. So too, Israel, as the “heart” of humanity, experiences history differently from the rest of the nations.

“Be Silent — This Is What Arose in My Thought”

Human understanding is fundamentally incapable of fully grasping Divine judgment.

The Talmud relates that Moses was shown the horrific death of Rabbi Akiva. Shocked, Moses cried out: “This is Torah, and this is its reward?” God answered him: “Be silent. This is what arose in My thought.”

Based on classical Jewish sources, God originally intended to create the world solely with strict justice, but saw that the world could not survive that way, so He combined mercy with justice. Yet with exceptionally righteous souls such as Rabbi Akiva, Divine judgment sometimes operates according to that original standard of pure justice, which is completely beyond human comprehension.

If even Moses himself was told, “Be silent,” how much more so ordinary human beings must recognize the limits of their understanding regarding Divine providence and suffering.

Why We Do Not Sing on the Days of Judgment

The sages explain that during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, God sits upon the throne of judgment while the books of life and death are open before Him. Even though these holidays contain elements of Divine kindness — the creation of the world on Rosh Hashanah and forgiveness on Yom Kippur — the intensity of judgment prevents complete rejoicing.

The world exists only because Divine mercy tempers strict justice. Without mercy, humanity could not survive even a moment.

This idea is reflected in Jewish prayer itself, which asks God to rule over the world “with kindness and mercy, with righteousness and justice.” The shofar, prayers, and repentance of these holy days are intended to awaken Divine compassion and soften judgment.

The Holocaust and the Miracle of Jewish Survival

Although the Holocaust was uniquely horrifying in both scale and cruelty, the survival of the Jewish people afterward remains one of the greatest open miracles in history.

When one studies the rebukes in the Torah — especially in the portions of Bechukotai, Ki Tavo, and Ha’azinu, one sees descriptions of devastation and suffering no less terrifying than what occurred during the Holocaust itself. Yet despite everything, the Jewish people survived.

After all the destruction, persecution, and unimaginable loss, the nation of Israel continues to live and rebuild. The speed with which Jewish life recovered after the Holocaust defies normal historical expectations and testifies, according to the article, to the ongoing combination of Divine justice together with Divine mercy.

Throughout all of Jewish history — from the wilderness, to the First and Second Temples, through exile, persecution, destruction, and rebirth, God’s relationship with the Jewish people has always contained both justice and compassion. Even in the darkest periods, mercy never disappeared completely.

And perhaps, the greatest visible miracle of all is that despite every attempt to destroy them, the Jewish people remain alive, enduring, and spiritually connected to the God who chose them.