via Rabbi Zalmen Marozov.
Today is Yom Hasho’ah - Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today we remember the six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.
Remembering is a Jewish trait and a mitzvah! In fact, there are six remembrances that the Torah commands every Jew to recall each day. One of them is:
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and cut down all the weak who straggled behind when you were weary and exhausted… You shall blot out the memory of Amalek… Do not forget.”
The Torah stresses that in addition to “remembering” we must also “not forget.” Teaching us that one may remember, yet, at the same time, be guilty of forgetting.
How is this possible?
A person functions through intelligence and action. Yet, many times they are worlds apart! Too often we see people doing the wrong things even though intellectually they know that what they are doing is terribly wrong.
This applies to one’s actions which bring harm to themselves. It may apply to actions which affect one’s family, one’s social life, community matters or in one’s business dealings. G-d gave humans the great advantage of intellect. One has the ability to use that intellect to achieve great positive things or to create havoc and destruction, even on a global scale, all the while knowing that what they are doing is wrong.
Thus, the Torah commands us to “remember” but this alone is not enough. One must also “not forget” to act according to the principles that result from that remembrance.
The Ten Commandments begin with “I am the L-rd your G-d” on the first Tablet. The sixth commandment, “Do not commit murder” is right opposite it on top of the second Tablet. These two commandments go hand in hand.
Today (and every day) we remember the six million men, women and children whose lives were so brutally extinguished by beasts in the form of humans, who pretended to have the most civilized culture in the world at the time. Today we must not forget that the commandment, “do not commit murder” is very much dependent on the first commandment, “I am the L-rd your G-d!”
Let us transform this Remembrance Day into deeds by strengthening the observance of our spiritual heritage - the Torah and mitzvot. Let us take to heart the words of this week’s Parsha, “You should love your fellow as (you love) yourself, I am your G-d.”
Let us strengthen our support for the State of Israel during these crucial times. Let’s support our Jewish educational institutions, keeping the eternal light of the six million holy souls and their revered and blessed memory alive forever.
