Theodicy on 'Planet Auschwitz

The Book of Job, part 4: Theodicy on 'Planet Auschwitz

The problem of theodicy has been discussed for millennia, namely if there is an all-powerful, all-knowing and benevolent G-d then why do bad things happen in the world? For almost 70 years this question has been discussed in relation to the Shoah (Holocaust) in a simple question: "Where was G-d at Auschwitz?" Where was G-d when six million Jews, including one million children, were murdered?

There are plenty who have explored the theme of theodicy on "Planet Auschwitz", a name coined by the Jewish thinker Emil Fackenheim, to describe the utter otherworldliness of the extermination camp.

There are, broadly, two schools of thought: that G-d allows free will to exist (however painful) or that the Shoah is indeed a form of punishment.

The idea of the Holocaust as an act of punishment is obscene. In an age where there is no open prophecy it seems somewhat presumptuous to suggest a reason for G-d to punish the Jews: different rabbis from different positions suggested that it was as a response to the Jewish people's engagement with modern philosophies: Socialism, Zionism, anti-Zionism or non-Orthodox movements or, in one case, for not engaging with non-Orthodox movements. The problem with this argument apart from the self-appointed "prophets" is that not only do some of the theories cancel each other out (Zionist/anti-Zionist or Orthodox/Reform), it leaves us with the unpalatable notion that if the Shoah is G-d's will then those carrying out the killings, Hitler and his willing executioners, are simply carrying out a Divine Plan. This notion led Professor Richard Rubenstein to question G-d's existence in this world, claiming that given the choice of the SS as servants in a divine plan or G-d not existing, he preferred the latter (though he latterly recanted his atheism).

If the Shoah is a form of divine retribution, then 70 years later we are no clearer as to a reason why this might have happened.

Menachem Risikoff and Eliezer Berkovits are proponents of free will arguments. Risikoff rejected that Hitler could be part of any Divine Plan and that terrible suffering could not emanate from G-d, for G-d acts within Torah.

Berkovits' modern Orthodox theodicy rests on the Jewish idea of "Hester Panim" (the hiding face of G-d). Utilising the concept that G-d hides his face he claims that this occurred in Nazi Germany as G-d has had to withdraw - whatever the consequences – to allow humanity to exercise free will. Berkovits makes sense but leaves open the question that if G-d intervened to save the Israelites from destruction at the Red Sea, then surely an intervention at Auschwitz would have been timely.

Jews are collectively left, like Job, wondering why this has happened to them: for many survivors the idea of losing all members of their family, their worldly possessions and their dignity is not theoretical. It results in several responses: ranging from spiritual renewal to rejectionism; to devoting their lives to bettering the world through numerous causes to self-destruction as is the case of many who sadly could not cope with the guilt of surviving when their families perished.

Job does give an answer of sorts. It does not lie in the sureties of Holocaust theologians – divine punishment, free will or atheism – but in that we are left in the midst of a divine mystery. If we can find the strength to reaffirm G-d, to question our ways of life and shed the arrogance of surety then we can like Job rebuild our lives, our communities, our institutions.

This is hard, but today the Jewish community has more day schools; more yeshivoth (centres of rabbinic learning); more centres of academic excellence; and those communities destroyed in Europe are being rebuilt today in north America, Israel, Australia and Europe itself. This reaffirming act of faith is a symbol of hope for all.

At the end of Job, G-d tells Job's companions to reconcile with him and for Job to pray for them. So finally and in a world of free will we need to rebuild our trust in each other too after such a tragedy. To quote Rev Ernest Levy, a survivor who lived in Scotland, "If there is no faith in humanity, then there is no point in having faith in G-d".