Where was G-d? A Holocaust survivor tells his story

Mevater

Thu, Aug 16 2007, 11:58 am

Motek wrote:

Listen to Rabbi Nissan Mangel answer this question and tell his story.

He was a child survivor (aged 10) of Auschwitz, which is extremely unusual!

http://jewishaudio.org/hadar-hatorah/

6 tapes, towards the top of the screen

I have never heard Rabbi Mangel before.I really enjoy R' Mangel's style of speaking. I have now reached the sixth tape and the most clarity I've gotten so far, on the subject is if Moshe Rabbeinu wasn't answered about why there is Tzadik V' Ra Lo, how do we expect to get answer? To summarize, unless the last tape reveals something new- I've got another 45 minutes to go on the series, the answer so far, on all these tapes is- We can't and don't know. No Chiddushim here. But I enjoyed it anyhow.

Motek

Fri, Aug 17 2007, 1:17 pm

letsbehonest wrote:

To summarize, unless the last tape reveals something new- I've got another 45 minutes to go on the series, the answer so far, on all these tapes is- We can't and don't know. No Chiddushim here. But I enjoyed it anyhow.

I think he answers the question on the first side of the first tape!

He says, that this question, "Where was G-d," emerged after the Holocaust. His answer to "where was G-d in the Holocaust" is: RIGHT BESIDE ME. And he says this was obvious in Auschwitz.

The rest of his talks is for the purpose of showing how G-d accompanied him every step of the way.

Mevater

Fri, Aug 17 2007, 1:28 pm

Motek wrote:

His answer to "where was G-d in the Holocaust" is: RIGHT BESIDE ME. And he says this was obvious in Auschwitz. The rest of his talks is for the purpose of showing how G-d accompanied him every step of the way.

No more obvious than the fact the we both went to sleep last night and got up again this morning B"H, or watching flowers and children grow. Very Happy

Ruchel

Fri, Aug 17 2007, 2:14 pm

Motek wrote:

letsbehonest wrote:

I know that some survivors find it selfish for a survivor to present things like that, because what about those who didn't survive? Hashem was not with them?
I personally do not know, but I find it weird to witness people dying horrible death and then say G-d was right beside me. It sounds like you don't care about what you saw so much, you were not shocked or horrified enough to wonder about all this

Just how I understand it, maybe it's a language barrier but in French it sounds not right at all.

It's like the secular Israeli soldier who goes to a rabbi because he has found faith: his group was attacked but he managed to survive, G-d helped him! Well the rabbi chased him away, "how can you find faith because you survived when all your friends died?". It's mean but...

Motek

Fri, Aug 17 2007, 4:33 pm

letsbehonest wrote:

No more obvious than the fact the we both went to sleep last night and got up again this morning B"H, or watching flowers and children grow. Very Happy

Actually, he thinks it was more obvious and he tells many personal stories to that effect.

Just because all is by Divine Providence does not mean we don't see G-d's hand more apparently in some situations than others.

Ruchel wrote:

I know that some survivors find it selfish for a survivor to present things like that, because what about those who didn't survive? Hashem was not with them?

He is a survivor and lost immediate family members to murder, he can present it his way, they can present it their way.

Quote:

I personally do not know, but I find it weird to witness people dying horrible death and then say G-d was right beside me. It sounds like you don't care about what you saw so much, you were not shocked or horrified enough to wonder about all this

How about listening to his presentation and then deciding.

Mevater

Fri, Aug 17 2007, 4:44 pm

Motek wrote:

Just because all is by Divine Providence does not mean we don't see G-d's hand more apparently in some situations than others.

In my mind, the miraculous way we all go to sleep, which is considered a fraction of death, and then wake up with renewed energy, is more miraculous than a small number of people escaping Aushwitz during the Holocaust. While 900 or so people perished at Jonestown, others narrowly escaped and lived to tell the tale.

bashinda

Sat, Aug 18 2007, 8:56 pm

Motek wrote:

letsbehonest wrote:

I'll have to listen to the talks. I heard the first tape and remember hearing that. Extremely powerful message. Thanks for posting about this, Motek.

Mevater

Sat, Aug 18 2007, 11:17 pm

The last tape was amazing. It was all about Gilgulim.

We all learned of the horrific deaths of the Asara Harugai Malchus. R'Mangel tells us that the Gematria of the Asara (TEN) Harugai Malchus is the same as the Gematria of the TEN Shevatim that sold Yosef.

What more can anyone say?

We are reminded by R' Mangel on this tape (story of husband who had wife that embarassed him), of the fact that embarassing s/o is equivalent to killing s/o.

Amazing speech.

Motek

Sun, Aug 19 2007, 6:26 pm

letsbehonest wrote:

I wonder why. Billions of people go to sleep and get up every day. How do you see that as miraculous? How do you define teva?