The Daily Chizzuk by our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a – the Holocaust was because of the idolatry of earlier generations
“Hashem became angry with me because of you” (Devarim 3:26)
Monday, 13 Cheshvan 5783 – If Rabbi Akiva had come to the shiur of Rabbi Eliezer, it would have prevented his suffering
These are his holy words:
“Hashem became angry with me because of you” – this was [to say that] everything was because of you, because the Jewish people needed to receive the Ten Commandments, because the whole Holocaust was reincarnations.
The whole Holocaust was because, at one time, they worshipped idolatry. Over a period of 850 years, they worshipped idolatry. There almost isn’t a Jew who didn’t worship idolatry.
We are here already for 50 reincarnations. If we divide 6,000 years from the beginning of the creation to 50, this is 75; and until the flood, they lived 2 incarnations – not more. There was no woman who didn’t worship idolatry. They threw the children into the fire. [People] don’t understand why: how is it possible to take children and throw them into fire?
Mamash literally [this is] the Nazis, but this, you did when you would worship idolatry! Everyone grabbed their child and threw it into fire, rejoiced, danced.
Why did they call this “Gei Ben Hinom – the Valley of the Son of Hinom”? That the children would moan [nohamim – a cognate of “Hinom”]! And the “Tophet” after the drums [tupim]!
Hinom – that the children were screaming, shrieking; [they would] burn them and then knock on the drums, beat the drums so that they wouldn’t hear the shrieking of the children. They also called this the “Gei Tophet” after the “tupim – drums,” and also “Gei Ben Hinom” after the moans and the screams that the children would scream.
People were at the height of joy, throwing their children to fire, or they danced around the calf. The non-Jews said, they only want to see the dancing. They were once all Shuvu Banim, loved to dance. They were dancing, let’s go dance. The women had needed to give each husband two slaps.
What, you’re going to the dancing? What dancing? This is dancing to the calf!
The women did not give the nose-rings [to make the calf]; fine, but this wasn’t enough. They were left widows. Every woman was left a widow. 600,000 women were left widows when they were all from the age of 20. At the age of 60, a man would say goodbye to his wife, and the wife would go and dig him a grave. He [would] need to lie down in the grave, and in the morning, he wouldn’t get up. The wife knows already that that’s it. She has her husband until the age of 60. If she would live until 120, then another 60 years she doesn’t have a husband. The wife is left without a husband.
Because the women had needed to hold onto their husbands, that they wouldn’t go to the dancing. Dancing, a band, we’ll hear a few melodies, get out of the depression a bit, from the despair – but this is dancing to the calf. People for 850 years threw their children into the fire with joy, danced, beat drums so as to not hear their screams.
Every woman threw her child into fire, the third child… certainly the tenth – you have to give the tithe. There were those who were meticulous, even after three children, already the third child they would throw into fire.
But the rectification was to read parashat Bechukotai – this is the 49 curses, to read this always on the day of gathering. To also read “Ki Tavo” – this is 98 curses. Together this is 147 – the numerical value of Nachman [148 with the kollel].
If a person knows about the Tzaddik, he cancels out all the curses. The Rebbe cancels out all the curses.
Rabbi Eliezer said to Rabbi Akiva, “If you had come to me for all the shiurim [you wouldn’t have gone through all the suffering]. Rabbi Akiva was a spark of Zimri. He needed to rectify the spark of Zimri. Therefore, they scraped his flesh with iron combs.
The whole Holocaust was to rectify 850 years that they worshipped idolatry.
