January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a date designated by the United Nations to honor the memory of Europe’s Jews, who were targeted for annihilation.
Man is not born good. He must become good – by learning that there is another beside him and a Creator above him.
Evil and unwarranted hatred are a reality that exists in our world. The human being has an infinite capacity for evil that, left unchecked, can destroy the world.
The Torah itself tells us that the “impulse of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen 8:21). Man is not born good. He has to become good – by forging his character, by bending his baser instincts, by learning that there is another beside him and an Other above him.
The Holocaust shows what can become of human beings when they permit the beast within them to control them.
It teaches us that we must be alert to the existence of evil, both in others and in our own selves. Once we are aware of its reality, we can work to uproot it. The mitzvot of the Torah are designed to help the spiritual qualities within us dominate the beast within.
Further, we learn from this tragedy that to be silent in the face of evil is to acquiesce in it, encourage it, and help it grow strong.
History teaches us that evil triumphs when good people remain silent. But when good people rise up against evil, evil will ultimately perish and the good will prevail.
Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg
International Holocaust Remembrance Day – 27 January
International Holocaust Remembrance Day was established by the United Nations in 2005 as an international day of commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The United Nations designated 27 January (the liberation of Auschwitz) as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.