Did our enemy of the Middle Ages actually succeed in implementing Haman’s
slogan lehashmid laharog ule’abeid et kol hayehudim,¹⁴⁷¹ to destroy — God forbid!
— the Jewish people? To that we can give a clear and categorical answer:
No! Absolutely not! History shows us the exact opposite. History shows us
that, although our enemies’ aim was to bring the Jewish people down into
the pit of destruction, into the abyss of annihilation, the effect of that inhuman,
cruel barbarity was precisely the opposite of what they were hoping for.
The results and consequences of the Inquisition were contrary to the outcome
and aims which they intended. Death ceased to be the majestic fear painted
in human thought in the darkest colours and, along with that, suffering and
pain lost their power of menace, before which men tremble so strongly in
fear, dread and trepidation. On the contrary, ke’asher ye’anu otam,¹⁴⁷² the more
they tortured [8] and embittered Jewish life, the greater grew the Jewish people’s
inner nobility and cohesion; the more they persecuted and oppressed the
Jewish nation, the more Jewish courage and Jewish spirit were strengthened,
the more religious ecstasy was inflamed and Jewish endurance reinforced.
Precisely thanks to that inner hitchazkut,¹⁴⁷³ resilience, religious constancy
and trust, Jewish national pride was strengthened at the same time, with
the hope that they would in the end emerge purified from the great horror
of the Inquisition.
And at the present time we are faced with that same historic mission.
Honoured brethren! In this new situation,” said the rabbi, continuing his
words of encouragement, “which we should not underestimate and in which
we should have no illusions, because we are facing tragedy, we must see the
miserable truth. The era of emancipation and human rights is past, democracy
and liberalism have disappeared, morality and ethics have ceased to
exist, and instead of law and civilisation, instead of tzedek veyosher,¹⁴⁷⁴ we
are facing an age of brutality, darkness, trampling on human, and [9] especially
Jewish, feelings, violation of human existence, destruction, devastation
in the cruellest manner of everyone and everything that remains humane
and moral. Nevertheless! Despite everything, we must not let ourselves be
1471 (Hebrew) to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews (Esther 3:13).
1472 (Hebrew) the more they afflicted them. (cf. Exodus 1:12).
1473 (Hebrew) strengthening.
1474 (Hebrew) righteousness and justice.
