Auschwitz - Reflections

Standing first from the watchtower then from the memorial and looking out at the monstrosity known in the world's concience as Auschwitz. Among the feelings that sink in, the starkest is simply awe: awe at the sheer size of the beast; awe at the efficiency of the machine of death that man built. To have come up with something like Auschwitz, one must be nothing short of an absolute genius. The arrangement of the bunkers; the cordoning off of the gas chambers/crematoria from the rest of the camp, so that no SS could enter, but “shipments” of doomed Jews could get there in a moment's time. Awe at the German orderliness and efficiency leaving its mark at every step of the way, here of all places. This camp is a brilliant conception, art even; only that at its' very core, it is a machine of death.

At no point in time did the Lubavitcher Rebbe's clarion call to moral awareness ring more clear:

“If there was ever any doubt whether just and righteous behavior is possible only when based on the realization that such is G-d’s desire, or it is also possible when based on mortal considerations, on human wisdom and doctrines and behavior codes — all doubts have been resolved in this generation. The same people that prided itself on its scientific and philosophic accomplishments, that prided itself on its sons who devoted decades to intellectual inquiry and research and who authored books on these subjects, that had so many students pursuing knowledge — that people wrought the most horrific and evil of deeds.
The holocaust was not the result of one mentally unbalanced individual who coerced others into helping him. Everyone who was there, I amongst them, saw how enthusiastically that folk accepted him, expressing the hope that he would bring to realization their heartfelt longing to slew ‘Deutschland uber alles’.
The only way, then, to ensure that people behave decently and morally, is a code of conduct not of human invention but based on the fulfillment of G-d’s will. In the words of the Rambam: “‘They should accept (the Seven Noachide Laws) and do them [not because they may be logically appealing, rather] because G-d commanded them in the Torah and let us know of them through Moshe Rabbeinu.’”

Surprisingly, there were many more non-Jews than Jews there. I brought up this point in conversation with several of them. Not surprising was that most of them agreed with me far more enthusiastically than your average Jew.