Let me start with a couple of clarifications

1. Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Day) in Israel this year falls on the 213^th day of October 7. I don’t wish to suggest any kind of equivalence between the Shoah and the period from October 7 to now. However, I must confess that, for myself at least, the visceral reality of October 7 is giving the Shoah, and Yom Hashoah, more immediacy this year.
2. A part of this shiur is taken from a shiur given at Yeshiva University 20 years ago by Rabbi Hershel Shachter. The other half has presented itself to me, as seems so often to be the case, by both the liturgy and the Torah readings of the last couple of weeks. We often remark on how, every year, each weekly Torah has a topical resonance. I find that the liturgy, also, seems to offer a response to whatever is occupying me at the time.  
3. In this shiur, I am not seeking to answer the question: ‘Where was God?’, but rather to explore the following three questions
   • What does the question ‘Where was God?’ mean?
   •  Have we the ability to answer the question: ‘Where was God?’?
   • Have we the right to ask the question: ‘Where was God’?’
4. In the course of asking these questions, we might come across some possible answers to the question: ‘Where was God?’, but that is not my main purpose today.

Bernice and I often discuss the fact that we have been blessed to be born at the time and in the place that we were, to have lived through the period in history we have lived through, and to have moved to Israel when we did. I was born almost five years after the liberation of the camps, and almost two years after the foundation of the state and I was raised in a liberal, creative, confident, and therefore largely accepting, England. I spent a very formative gap year in Israel on a course that began in reunited Jerusalem a year after the Six-Day War, then we came on aliya to an Israel on its way to being an economic and artistic powerhouse. We witnessed the release of Soviet Jewry and the fall of the Communist empire.

And then came the 21^st Century, leading, it now seems inexorably, to October 7, and the last eight months.

On 7^th day Pesach, a fellow congregant and I turned to each other after reciting Psalm 121 antiphonally, and agreed that it is getting harder and harder to recite this perek, and many other prakim, of tehilim.

Psalm 121 A Song of Ascents. I will lift my eyes up to the hills; from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot stumble; He that guards you does not slumber. See: the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. The Lord is your Guardian; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will guard you from all harm; He will guard your life. The Lord will guard your going and coming, now and for evermore.

תהלים קכ”א שִׁיר לַמַּעֲלוֹת: אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים, מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי׃ עֶזְרִי מֵעִם ה׳ עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ׃ אַל יִתֵּן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֶךָ, אַל יָנוּם שֹׁמְרֶךָ׃ הִנֵּה לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ ה׳ שֹׁמְרֶךָ, ה׳ צִלְּךָ עַל יַד יְמִינֶךָ׃ יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא יַכֶּכָּה, וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה׃ ה׳ יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל רָע׃ יִשְׁמֹר אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ׃ ה׳ יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ, מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם׃

In the perek, we declare our faith that Hashem guards and will continue to protect us from all harm.

After the Shoah, after October 7, how are we to understand this? The perek begs the question: ‘Where was Hashem?’ If ה׳ יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ, מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם (Hashem will guard your going and coming now and for evermore), then where was he in the Shoah and on October 7?

This question can, I suggest, be understood two ways. It may be a rhetorical question, with the obvious and unavoidable answer: “God was nowhere in the Shoah.” In the Shoah, there died six million Jews and God. This has clearly been the reaction of many Jews, survivors and others, and it is not easy to criticise them for their rejection of the existence of God. What kind of deity, whose first mentioned attribute is mercy, and who is also omniscient and omnipotent, can allow the slaughter of one and a half million children of his Chosen people?

The second way to understand the question: ‘Where was God in the Shoah?’ is as a genuine enquiry, a desire to understand how it is that a deity, whose first mentioned attribute is mercy, and who is also omniscient and omnipotent, can allow the slaughter of six million people, of one and a half million children, of his Chosen People. Not to say: ‘It cannot be!’, but to ask: ‘How can it be?’

To attempt to understand how this can be, let us start with the question of the nature and actions of God. I want to consider several aspects of God.

• Not only is God the prime mover, the creator of Yesh from Ayin – of substance from nothingness –  but He also continues to rule the universe.
• God is constantly aware of everything that happens in His universe. He did not create and move on. He created and stayed.
• God rewards the good and punishes the evil. He is constantly engaged with His universe.

All three of these points are fundamental to a Jewish understanding of God.

• We find them listed by Rambam among his fundamental principles. I want to highlight the second and third of the aspects I mentioned

Rambam’s Commentary on the Mishnah: Tractate Sanhedrin Ch 10 The 10th fundamental principle is that the Exalted One knows the actions of all men and does not neglect them, (Proof text: Genesis 6:5:) Hashem saw how great was human wickedness on earth.) The 11th fundamental principle is that the Exalted One rewards the one who observes the commandments of the Torah, and punishes the one who transgresses its admonitions. The greatest reward is the world to come and the greatest punishment is extinction (karet). (Proof text: Exodus 32:33:) “The one who sins against Me, I will erase from My book”

רמב”ם משנה סנהדרין י’ היסוד העשירי כי הוא הש”י יודע מעשיהם של בני אדם ואינו מעלים עינו מהם. (בראשית ו׳:ה׳) וירא ה’ כי רבה רעת האדם בארץ וגו’   היסוד אחד עשר כי הוא הש”י נותן שכר למי שעושה מצות התורה ויעניש למי שעובר על אזהרותיה וכי השכר הגדול העולם הבא והעונש החזק הכרת. (שמות ל״ב:ל״ג) מי אשר חטא לי אמחנו מספרי.

• We find these two principles everywhere in our daily liturgy. I’ve picked out two prime examples

Siddur Ashkenaz, Ashrei The Lord supports all who fall, and raises all who are bowed down. All raise their eyes to you in hope, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand and satisfy what is wished for every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all he does. The Lord is close to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He will fulfil the will of those who revere Him; He will hear their cry and save them. The Lord guards all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.		סידור אשכנז, אשרי סוֹמֵךְ יְהֹוָה לְכָל־הַנֹּפְ֒לִים וְזוֹקֵף לְכָל־הַכְּ֒פוּפִים: עֵינֵי־כֹל אֵלֶֽיךָ יְשַׂבֵּֽרוּ וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן־לָהֶם אֶת־אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ: פּוֹתֵֽחַ אֶת־יָדֶֽךָ וּמַשְׂבִּֽיעַ לְכָל־חַי רָצוֹן: צַדִּיק יְהֹוָה בְּכָל־דְּרָכָיו וְחָסִיד בְּכָל־מַעֲשָׂיו: קָרוֹב יְהֹוָה לְכָל־קֹרְ֒אָיו לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻֽהוּ בֶאֱמֶת: רְצוֹן־יְרֵאָיו יַעֲשֶׂה וְאֶת־שַׁוְעָתָם יִשְׁמַע וְיוֹשִׁיעֵם: שׁוֹמֵר יְהֹוָה אֶת־כָּל־אֹהֲבָיו וְאֵת כָּל־הָרְ֒שָׁעִים יַשְׁמִיד:
Siddur Ashkenaz, Amidah, Modim Anachnu Lach We give thanks to You, for You are the Lord our God and God of our ancestors for ever and all time. You are the Rock of our lives, Shield of our salvation from generation to generation. We will thank You and declare Your praise for our lives, which are entrusted into Your hand, for our souls, which are placed in Your charge, for Your miracles, which are with us every day; and for Your wonders and favours at all times, evening, morning and midday. You are good – for Your compassion never fails. You are compassionate – for Your loving-kindnesses never cease. We have always placed our hope in You.		סידור אשכנז, מודים אנחנו לך (ב) מוֹדִים אֲנַֽחְנוּ לָךְ שָׁאַתָּה הוּא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד צוּר חַיֵּֽינוּ מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ אַתָּה הוּא לְדוֹר וָדוֹר נֽוֹדֶה לְּךָ וּנְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ עַל־חַיֵּֽינוּ הַמְּ֒סוּרִים בְּיָדֶֽךָ וְעַל נִשְׁמוֹתֵֽינוּ הַפְּ֒קוּדוֹת לָךְ וְעַל נִסֶּֽיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם עִמָּֽנוּ וְעַל נִפְלְ֒אוֹתֶֽיךָ וְטוֹבוֹתֶֽיךָ שֶׁבְּ֒כָל עֵת עֶֽרֶב וָבֹֽקֶר וְצָהֳרָֽיִם הַטּוֹב כִּי לֹא כָלוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ וְהַמְ֒רַחֵם כִּי לֹא תַֽמּוּ חֲסָדֶֽיךָ מֵעוֹלָם קִוִּֽינוּ לָךְ:

“Your compassion never fails…. Your loving-kindness never ceases.” How are we to understand this in the light of what has befallen us?

To attempt to answer that question, let us look at the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish People. Earlier this week, we read in the Mussaf Amida for Shlosh Regalim:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Shalosh Regalim, Mussaf, Kedushat Hayom You chose us from among all peoples. You loved us and favoured us. You raised us above all tongues. You made us holy through your commandments. You brought us near, our King, to Your service, and called us by Your great and holy name. … But because of our sins we were exiled from our land and driven far from our country.  We cannot go up to appear and bow before You, and to perform our duties in Your chosen House, the great and holy Temple that was called by Your name, because of the hand that was stretched out before Your sanctuary. …May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors, merciful King, that You in Your abounding compassion may once more have mercy on us and on your sanctuary, rebuilding it swiftly and adding to its glory

סידור אשכנז, תפילות לשלוש רגלים, מוסף, קדושת היום אַתָּה בְּחַרְתָּנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אָהַבְתָּ אוֹתָנוּ וְרָצִיתָ בָּנוּ וְרוֹמַמְתָּנוּ מִכָּל הַלְּשׁוֹנוֹת וְקִדַּשְׁתָּנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ וְקֵרַבְתָּנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתֶךָ וְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ עָלֵינוּ קָרָאתָ: …וּמִפְּנֵי חֲטָאֵינוּ גָּלִינוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ. וְנִתְרַחַקְנוּ מֵעַל אַדְמָתֵנוּ. וְאֵין אֲנַחְנוּ יְכוֹלִים לַעֲלוֹת וְלֵרָאוֹת וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְפָנֶיךָ. וְלַעֲשׂוֹת חוֹבוֹתֵינוּ בְּבֵית בְּחִירָתֶךָ. בַּבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁנִּקְרָא שִׁמְךָ עָלָיו. מִפְּנֵי הַיָּד שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּלְּחָה בְּמִקְדָּשֶׁךָ: … יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ. מֶלֶךְ רַחֲמָן. שֶׁתָּשׁוּב וּתְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל מִקְדָּשְׁךָ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים. וְתִבְנֵהוּ מְהֵרָה וּתְגַדֵּל כְּבוֹדוֹ:

This passage delineates three stages in the history of the People’s relationship with God: the Temple period, exile and redemption from exile.

We know that the Temple is, among other things, a place for the Shchina to dwell among us. The destruction of the Temple symbolises, among other things, the withdrawing of God from our presence. For Isaiah, the failures and shortcomings of the People will turn the Temple from the place where God is most accessible to an arena of conflict within the People. This conflict will lead to the withdrawing of the Shchina, the destruction of the Temple, exile from the Land, and the hiding of God’s face.

Isaiah writes about the destruction of the Temple and the exile:

Isaiah 8: 17 (13) None but the Lord of Hosts shall you account holy; give reverence to [God] alone, hold [God] alone in awe. (14) [God] shall become a sanctuary, a stone people strike against: a rock people stumble over for the two Houses of Israel, and a trap and a snare for those, who dwell in Jerusalem. (15) The masses shall trip over these and shall fall and be injured, shall be snared and be caught. (16) Bind up the message, seal the instruction with My disciples.” (17) So I will wait for the Lord, whose face is hidden from the House of Jacob, and I will trust in him.

ישעיהו ח׳:י״ג-י״ז (יג) אֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֹת֣וֹ תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ וְה֥וּא מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם וְה֥וּא מַעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם׃ (יד) וְהָיָ֖ה לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ וּלְאֶ֣בֶן נֶ֠גֶף וּלְצ֨וּר מִכְשׁ֜וֹל לִשְׁנֵ֨י בָתֵּ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְפַ֣ח וּלְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ לְיוֹשֵׁ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ (טו) וְכָ֥שְׁלוּ בָ֖ם רַבִּ֑ים וְנָפְל֣וּ וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ וְנוֹקְשׁ֖וּ וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ׃ {פ} (טז) צ֖וֹר תְּעוּדָ֑ה חֲת֥וֹם תּוֹרָ֖ה בְּלִמֻּדָֽי׃ (יז) וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר פָּנָ֖יו מִבֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְקִוֵּ֖יתִי־לֽוֹ׃

Perhaps הסתר פנים, (Hester Panim), the hiding of God’s face,  is the answer to the question: ‘Where was God?’ However, as happens with many profound questions, this answer may simply suggest other, hopefully more specific, questions: ‘What is the nature of הסתר פנים? If הסתר פנים appears to me to represent Hashem’s desertion of his people, clearly I am not understanding הסתר פנים correctly. How does it actually demonstrate Hashem’s eternal loving-kindness?’

Let’s turn now to the second of my questions posed at the beginning: ‘Is it given to us to understand God’s action in allowing the Shoah (and October 7) to happen?

I believe that the Torah reading for Shabbat Hol Hamoed of Pesach can help us towards an answer to that question.

Exodus 33:13-30 (13) Now, if I have truly gained Your favor, pray let me know Your ways, that I may know You and continue in Your favor. Consider, too, that this nation is Your people.” (14) And [God] said, “I will go in the lead and will lighten your burden.” (15) And he replied, “Unless You go in the lead, do not make us leave this place. (16) For how shall it be known that Your people have gained Your favor unless You go with us, so that we may be distinguished, Your people and I, from every people on the face of the earth?” (17) And Hashem said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have truly gained My favor and I have singled you out by name.” (18) He said, “Oh, let me behold Your Presence!” (19) And [God] answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name of Hashem, and I will grant the grace that I will grant and show the compassion that I will show.  (20) “But you cannot see My face, for a human being may not see Me and live.” (21) And Hashem said, “See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock (22) and, as My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. (23) Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face will not be seen.”

שמות ל״ג:י״ג-ל׳ (יג) וְעַתָּ֡ה אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֜ן בְּעֵינֶ֗יךָ הוֹדִעֵ֤נִי נָא֙ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֔ךָ וְאֵדָ֣עֲךָ֔ לְמַ֥עַן אֶמְצָא־חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּרְאֵ֕ה כִּ֥י עַמְּךָ֖ הַגּ֥וֹי הַזֶּֽה׃ (יד) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר פָּנַ֥י יֵלֵ֖כוּ וַהֲנִחֹ֥תִי לָֽךְ׃ (טו) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו אִם־אֵ֤ין פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ הֹלְכִ֔ים אַֽל־תַּעֲלֵ֖נוּ מִזֶּֽה׃ (טז) וּבַמֶּ֣ה ׀ יִוָּדַ֣ע אֵפ֗וֹא כִּֽי־מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמֶּ֔ךָ הֲל֖וֹא בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֣ עִמָּ֑נוּ וְנִפְלִ֙ינוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמְּךָ֔ מִכׇּ֨ל־הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ {פ} (יז) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֛ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֑ה כִּֽי־מָצָ֤אתָ חֵן֙ בְּעֵינַ֔י וָאֵדָעֲךָ֖ בְּשֵֽׁם׃ (יח) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַרְאֵ֥נִי נָ֖א אֶת־כְּבֹדֶֽךָ׃ (יט) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֲנִ֨י אַעֲבִ֤יר כׇּל־טוּבִי֙ עַל־פָּנֶ֔יךָ וְקָרָ֧אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֛ם יְהֹוָ֖ה לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְחַנֹּתִי֙ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָחֹ֔ן וְרִחַמְתִּ֖י אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲרַחֵֽם׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי׃ (כא) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֥ה מָק֖וֹם אִתִּ֑י וְנִצַּבְתָּ֖ עַל־הַצּֽוּר׃ (כב) וְהָיָה֙ בַּעֲבֹ֣ר כְּבֹדִ֔י וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָ בְּנִקְרַ֣ת הַצּ֑וּר וְשַׂכֹּתִ֥י כַפִּ֛י עָלֶ֖יךָ עַד־עׇבְרִֽי׃ (כג) וַהֲסִרֹתִי֙ אֶת־כַּפִּ֔י וְרָאִ֖יתָ אֶת־אֲחֹרָ֑י וּפָנַ֖י לֹ֥א יֵרָאֽוּ׃

Hashem seems to be saying to Moshe that he (Moshe) can gain a comprehension of Hashem’s goodness, but he is incapable of understanding all of Hashem’s ways. ‘You cannot see My face, for a human being cannot see Me and live’

Let me suggest one way for us to understand the metaphor of Hashem’s back and His face.

We can understand Hashem’s role in history. Looking back (in the direction of God’s back), we can see Hashem’s influence, and comprehend His goodness. However, we are unable to look into the future (looking forward, in the direction of God’s face), and, without that ability, we can never see the whole picture. This is hinted at in the story of the days of the creation.

• On each day, we are told that Hashem saw what he had created on that day, and saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:25 (25) God made wild beasts of every kind and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. And God saw that this was good.

בראשית א׳: כ״ה (כה) וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹהִים֩ אֶת־חַיַּ֨ת הָאָ֜רֶץ לְמִינָ֗הּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ וְאֵ֛ת כׇּל־רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃

• On the sixth day, however, we are told that Hashem saw everything that had been made, on all six days, and found it very good.

Genesis 1: 31 (31) And God saw all that had been made, and found it very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

בראשית א: ל”א (כה) וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹהִים֩ אֶת־חַיַּ֨ת הָאָ֜רֶץ לְמִינָ֗הּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ וְאֵ֛ת כׇּל־רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃ (לא) וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי׃ {פ}

God only saw just how good it was when he saw the whole picture.

Let me offer an analogy. A mother takes her one-year-old child to Tipat Halav for a vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. The waiting-room is full of other mothers with their one-year-old children waiting for the vaccination. As the nurse slips the needle into the child’s arm, the child, terrified, starts crying and screaming. All of the other children, hearing the terror in her cries, start screaming and crying. All of the mothers attempt to calm their children, and fail. It is not given to a one-year-old to understand its mother’s purpose in allowing it to suffer this vaccination. There is no way for the mothers to explain to the children the benefit of what is happening.

If we need to be omniscient in order to understand God’s role in the Shoah, then that brings us to my last question. Have we the right to ask the question: ‘Where was God?’ Isn’t it a presumptuous question?

Perhaps our only role is to accept, unquestioningly, the infinite mercy of God. Perhaps this is the level of religious devotion that we aspire to when we sing that (on the surface) most ridiculous, but perhaps most sublime of Seder night songs – Dayenu.

Pesach Haggadah, Magid, Dayenu Had He given us their wealth without splitting the sea for us, that would have been enough for us.

הגדה של פסח, מגיד, דיינו אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת־מָמוֹנָם וְלֹא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת־הַיָּם, דַּיֵּנוּ.

Seriously??!!! If God had defeated the Egyptian deities, taken us out of Egypt, led us to Yam Suf, and then the Egyptian army had caught up with us trapped in front of the sea and slaughtered every last one of us, that would have been enough for us??!! In what universe does that make sense?

Perhaps the answer to that question is: If that is what God had chosen to allow to happen, then He would have had His reasons, which it is far beyond our ability to comprehend. All we can do is express the depth of our faith by stating that if that is what had happened then it would be what God had decided was in harmony with his Divine plan, and it would have been sufficient for us. If my mother, whose love for me is limitless, allows this nurse to stick this needle in me, then it must be for my own good. If six million Jews were slaughtered, and millions others lost their family members, their livelihoods, their homes, their possessions, then that must, in some way that we will never be able to fathom, serve God’s benign purpose.

In that case, I repeat: Have we the right to ask the question: ‘Where was God?’? I would suggest that the Gemara in Chullin, in one of those strange stories that the Talmud presents, offers an answer to that question.

Chullin 60b § Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi raises a contradiction between two verses. It is written: “And God made the two great lights” (Genesis 1:16), and it is also written in the same verse: “The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night,” indicating that only one was great. Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi explains: When God first created the sun and the moon, they were equally bright. Then, the moon said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, is it possible for two kings to serve with one crown? One of us must be subservient to the other. God therefore said to her, i.e., the moon: If so, go and diminish yourself. She said before Him: Master of the Universe, since I said a correct observation before You, must I diminish myself? God said to her: As compensation, go and rule both during the day along with the sun and during the night. She said to Him: What is the greatness of shining alongside the sun? What use is a candle in the middle of the day? God said to her: Go; let the Jewish people count the days and years with you, and this will be your greatness. She said to Him: But the Jewish people will count with the sun as well, as it is impossible that they will not count seasons with it, as it is written: “And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14). God said to her: Go; let righteous men be named after you. Just as you are called the lesser [hakatan] light, there will be Ya’akov HaKatan, i.e., Jacob our forefather (see Amos 7:2), Shmuel HaKatan the tanna, and David HaKatan, i.e., King David (see I Samuel 17:14). God saw that the moon was not comforted. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Bring atonement for me, since I diminished the moon.

חולין ס׳ ב רבי שמעון בן פזי רמי כתיב (בראשית א, טז) ויעש אלהים את שני המאורות הגדולים וכתיב את המאור הגדול ואת המאור הקטן אמרה ירח לפני הקב”ה רבש”ע אפשר לשני מלכים שישתמשו בכתר אחד אמר לה לכי ומעטי את עצמך אמרה לפניו רבש”ע הואיל ואמרתי לפניך דבר הגון אמעיט את עצמי אמר לה לכי ומשול ביום ובלילה אמרה ליה מאי רבותיה דשרגא בטיהרא מאי אהני אמר לה זיל לימנו בך ישראל ימים ושנים אמרה ליה יומא נמי אי אפשר דלא מנו ביה תקופותא דכתיב (בראשית א, יד) והיו לאותות ולמועדים ולימים ושנים זיל ליקרו צדיקי בשמיך (עמוס ז, ב) יעקב הקטן שמואל הקטן (שמואל א יז, יד) דוד הקטן חזייה דלא קא מיתבא דעתה אמר הקב”ה הביאו כפרה עלי שמיעטתי את הירח

Two things immediately strike me as bizarre about this account. The first is the apparent obstreperousness of the moon. When I taught, I occasionally had pupils like this, and I know that I couldn’t stand this kind of barrack-room lawyer. The moon (which I have always thought of more as an agent of God’s will than as a creation with free will) points out the ‘injustice’ of God’s ruling. She then points out the ‘illogic’ of each of God’s two suggested ‘compensations’ for the ‘injustice’.

Perhaps even more bizarre is that, when God sees that the moon is not comforted, He says: ‘Bring atonement for me, since I diminished the moon’. How are we to understand the meaning and the working of atonement for God? Is God ‘admitting’ that He ‘made a mistake’, that He ‘sinned’? Who is going to ‘bring’ the atonement? How? To whom will it be given? The Gemara in Chullin continues:

And this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is different about the goat offering of the New Moon, that it is stated with regard to it: “For the Lord” (Numbers 28:15)? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: This goat shall be an atonement for Me for having diminished the size of the moon.

והיינו דאמר ר”ש בן לקיש מה נשתנה שעיר של ראש חדש שנאמר בו (במדבר כח, טו) לה’ אמר הקב”ה שעיר זה יהא כפרה על שמיעטתי את הירח

The only offering for which the specific wording ‘Lashem’ (to/for the Lord) is used in connection with sacrifices is the goat brought as a sin offering on Rosh Chodesh.

Numbers 28:14-15 (14) Their libations shall be: half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. That shall be the monthly burnt offering for each new moon of the year. (15) And there shall be one goat as a sin offering to/for Hashem, to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation.

במדבר כ״ח:י״ד-ט״ו (יד) וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֗ם חֲצִ֣י הַהִין֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה לַפָּ֜ר וּשְׁלִישִׁ֧ת הַהִ֣ין לָאַ֗יִל וּרְבִיעִ֥ת הַהִ֛ין לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ יָ֑יִן זֹ֣את עֹלַ֥ת חֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ בְּחׇדְשׁ֔וֹ לְחׇדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ (טו) וּשְׂעִ֨יר עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֛ד לְחַטָּ֖את לַיהֹוָ֑ה עַל־עֹלַ֧ת הַתָּמִ֛יד יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה וְנִסְכּֽוֹ׃ {ס}

I think that the Gemara is suggesting that Hashem understands the moon’s reaction to be an earnest and pious attempt to understand the justice of Hashem’s plan to diminish her power. The conclusion that the moon comes to is that God’s plan is unjust. This is, of course, not because the plan is unjust, but rather because the justice of God’s plan is beyond the moon’s comprehension. Nevertheless, God hears the moon’s argument and acknowledges the argument’s legitimacy by instructing the children of Israel to offer, on God’s behalf, a sin offering at every rebirth of the moon.

Let me emphasise that what I mean by ‘legitimacy’ here is not ‘correctness’ but rather ‘appropriateness’. It is fitting for the moon to use what God-given intelligence she has to attempt to understand God’s ways. It is an appropriate use of that God-given intelligence for the moon to decide that God’s plan is unjust. God will even assume the role of one who has ‘wronged’ the moon in order to ‘atone’ for suggesting His plan.

By extension, we have the right to use our God-given intelligence to examine and judge God’s actions. We have the right to ask: ‘Where was God during the Shoah?’, whatever answer our human intelligence leads us to.

For many years, a story circulated about an event in Auschwitz that was regarded as apocryphal, until Eli Wiesel revealed that he had been present as a witness of the incident. One day, three rabbis got together to put God on trial for the Shoah. At the end of the trial, they found God guilty. I believe that as God watched them from Heaven, he ‘rejoiced’ at the intelligent exercise of free will his subjects were demonstrating.

But the story does not end there. As the trial concluded, one of the rabbis looked up to the sky and announced that it was time for aravit, and so they davened aravit.

In this, they were following the example of Job, in the middle of his suffering.

Job 13:15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. Yet I will argue my case before Him.

איוב י״ג:ט״ו הֵ֣ן יִ֭קְטְלֵנִי ל֣וֹ אֲיַחֵ֑ל אַךְ־דְּ֝רָכַ֗י אֶל־פָּנָ֥יו אוֹכִֽיחַ׃

We have the right – we have the duty – to ask the question: ‘Where was God in the Shoah?’. In asking the question, we demonstrate and celebrate the free will and the intelligence that God, in His infinite wisdom and kindness, has given us.

However, we have the ability to answer the question only within the limitations of our human understanding. At the same time as we ask the question, we must guard against our asking of the question undermining our fundamental certainty that God is all-merciful. We must trust in Him and argue our case before Him. In both of these actions equally, in trusting Him and in questioning His actions, we glorify His name.