From liberation to redemption: Past, present, future
January 27, the day on which the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp was liberated by Soviet forces in 1945, is commemorated by the United Nations and many nations as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. For Jews, the Shoah is remembered on multiple sacred dates — Tisha B’Av, Asara B’Tevet, and officially in Israel on Yom HaShoah — the 27th of Nisan.
This year marks the 81st anniversary of that liberation, and the Shabbat that follows January 27 this year is that of Parshat B’Shalach, a Torah reading that speaks of our redemption, our escape from Egyptian oppression under Hashem’s mighty outstretched hand.
Our forebears left Egypt with riches and jubilation, only to be confronted days later by a seemingly insurmountable obstacle: the Yam Suf. They were distraught and angry, accusing their leader, Moshe Rabbeinu, of leading them into the desert to die. But we know the rest of the story — they saw miracles (Hashem’s salvation) that would never be seen again.
Just as in Egypt, with the plagues Hashem wrought to force Pharaoh to release the Children of Israel, they did not have to lift a finger to bring about their redemption. They did not even have to pray — just move. As Hashem said to Moshe: “Why cry out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel and let them journey forth!”
There was one exception. As the midrash tells us, Nachshon bravely jumped into the Sea, demonstrating extraordinary emunah. Otherwise, the rest of the Children of Israel were decidedly passive.
That changed when they reached the Land of Israel. As we know from Tanach, they had to fight to conquer the land under Yehoshua’s leadership. Later, as we see in the Haftarah for our parsha, they fought a tremendous battle against their oppressive adversary, the Canaanites. This victory, though fought by Barak, was accomplished through the efforts of two women — the prophetess and judge Devorah, and the brave and resourceful Yael, who killed the opposing general, Sisera.
This has clear parallels to the victory generations earlier at the Yam Suf, where Miriam celebrated the salvation with her song, accompanying that of her brother Moshe, just as Shirat Devorah celebrated Barak’s victory.
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So we have three episodes of deliverance — the initial geula from Egypt, the liberation from oppression under Devorah, and the liberation from a murderous regime of unimaginable horror in 1945 — all being recalled on the same Shabbat.
In the first instance, we were delivered passively; Hashem did all the work. In the second, He required us to be active; we had to fight for victory. In the third, we were tragically in no position to fight, and our liberation was achieved passively, at tremendous cost.
But the title of this piece is “Past, Present and Future.” Where does that leave us?
Just six years ago, when we marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, 40 world leaders came to Jerusalem to honor the memory of those kedoshim murdered by Hitler in the Shoah and to decry rising antisemitism. There were kings from Belgium, Spain and Holland; princes, including then-Prince Charles of the UK; presidents, vice presidents and prime ministers.
It was a beautiful expression of solidarity with the Jewish people and a fulfillment of prophecy — Zechariah 14:16, following the war of Gog u’Magog:
And it shall come to pass, that everyone who remains of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, Hashem, Master of Legions.
And Micha 4:1–2, describing the End of Days:
And many nations shall go and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of Hashem, to the House of the G-d of Jacob, that He may instruct us in His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for from Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem.”
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A little more than three years later, after Oct. 7, everything changed. We again suffered terrible devastation — the worst since the Shoah — but now there is no solidarity with the Jewish people, no decrying antisemitism. Instead, many run from any association with Jews or with Israel and actively promote and foment antisemitism.
Belgium, Spain and Holland, which six years ago sent their kings, today would not send a dog catcher. The UK, where Jew hatred is rampant, is certainly not sending King Charles. The one nation that has stood by us then and now is the United States. For this we must be grateful.
A generation after the Shoah, we have come to realize that Hashem wants us to take an active role in our redemption. Just as when we conquered the Land under Yehoshua, fought under Devorah, and later under David HaMelech, we are required to act.
We must fight.
We must build.
We must do mitzvot.
We must learn and teach Torah.
We must learn to get along with one another.
We cannot be passive. Hashem is not going to do it for us.
The one free ride we received was at our infancy as a nation — Yetziat Mitzrayim, the redemption from Egypt. Now He expects us to act as grown-ups, to take responsibility and initiative. We must all be a Nachshon and jump into the Sea.
Baruch Hashem, over the past two-plus years we have seen leaders, soldiers, rabbanim and scholars — and women of incredible strength and valor who rival Miriam, Devorah and Yael — rising to the challenge.
That, to me, is the best and finest commemoration of the Shoah — for ourselves and for the world — on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
We are passive no more.
Shabbat Shalom.
Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com
