Monday, November 9th is the English date for the anniversary of Kristallnacht - The Night of the Broken Glass. For many, that fateful night in 1938 was the beginning of the horrors of the Holocaust which would continue until 1945. One often questions how is it possible that the Germans who were known to be educated and cultured could perpetrate such heinous crimes against humanity.
Although there can never be any real explanations for this asocial human behavior, we find a hint of it in this week’s Parsha - Vayera. In the pasuk (Bereishit 20:11) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֗רְתִּי רַ֚ק אֵֽין־יִרְאַ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֔ים בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽהֲרָג֖וּנִי עַל־דְּבַ֥ר אִשְׁתִּֽי: Avraham remarks that it in Gerar, over which Avimelech ruled, there was no Yirat Shamayim - no fear of G-d. Rav Yehuda Nachsoni writes that the Torah is making a point here; that there cannot be human morals without faith in Hashem and fear of Heaven. R’ Nachshoni writes “A synthetic type of humanly devised moral code cannot prevent the committing of the worst possible sins when one’s personal egotism demands it”.
Avraham was greatly concerned that Avimelech would want his wife Sarah and would kill him to get her. Avimelech is shocked that Avraham thought this of him, after all his country had laws, the people followed a moral code, they were not evil per se. Yet Avraham perceived that what was lacking in Gerar was “yiras shamayim”” and when personal passions flood in then the worst of crimes could be committed.
The Chasam Sofer supports this idea by explaining that using the word רק - Avraham was pointing out that while the people may have feared punishment for committing a crime - it was a fear of other mortals and not a fear of Hashem. That was the ONLY thing missing and the lack of Yiras Shamayim leads to clandestine, immoral behavior.
The Malbim wrote almost prophetically “If we see a person (or a nation) who is a great philosopher, who is just in his ways, and has accustomed himself to act properly based on his intellect, we still cannot trust that person or nation for at a time of passion, he (or it) may act evilly…..There is only one force in man’s soul which can guarantee that he will not sin, and that characteristic is Yirah, which is planted in his soul, which comes down to one thing- yiras Elokim”.
Rav Kook in Igros Raya (p.45) elaborates on this concept. Rav Kook writes “There is no ideal which can survive without the life force of the fire of G-dliness. The individual and social person remains a golem without a soul and there is nothing that moves him except a small measure of mechanical life which the flow of blood gives technical power. As a result there is nothing more frightening to the world than the wicked foolish denial of the existence of G-d”.
Given the current state of affairs in the United States, there is much to be concerned about. While we have the Constitution, a robust legal system, highly cultured people, nevertheless there seems to be a growing trend in leaving G-d out of the picture. What happened to adhering to the motto “In G-d we trust”?
One of the only ways to repair the breakdown of our society is to bring G-d back into our lives. By following the Torah’s stated values, the mitzvot between Man and Man and Man and G-d, even Man and oneself, we can make a difference. The change starts with one person- you! Tonight at the Shabbos table actually talk about G-d, invite Him into your home, into your family and with G-d’s help we will persevere.
Have a Shabbat Shalom
Rochelle Brand, Ed.D
Head of School
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