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Correspondence

March 1987

Exchange with Shaul Bald about "The Face of God" (1987)

Hidden Face of God
Background Information

This letter is a response to "The Face of God," Rabbi Lamm’s lecture on theodicy and the Holocaust.

Background Information

1. Shaul Bald to R. Lamm

1. Shaul Bald to R. Lamm (March 12, 1987)

1. Shaul Bald to R. Lamm (March 12, 1987)

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"בקשו מלאה"ש לומר שירה, אמר הקב"ה: מעשי ידי טובעין בים ואתם אומרים שירה?" למלאה״ש לא ניתנה רשות לומר שירה, אבל בנ"י כן הריעו ב"אז ישיר", ולמה? מפני שבנ״י נשאו על שכמם סבל וענות משך תקופה של 210 שנים, הרי שמגיעה להם גם שמחת הניצחון...
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Replies to Dr. Lamm on The Face of God (1987)

(Note: Letters, in order to be considered tor publication, must be typed and double-spaced. All letters must be signed, although names will be withheld upon request. Due to the large volume of mail, we regret that we cannot acknowledge or return any letters.) You recently published a number of articles by the distinguished Rabbi Dr. N. Lamm based on a lecture given by him at Stern College. I have read these articles concerning the “Face Of G-D" in connection with the Holocaust with great interest and would like to make a few remarks.Rabbi Lamm quotes three opinions with regards to the Holocaust, that is, it was a punishment either for assimilation, for a godless nationalism represented by the Zionist movement, or for not doing sufficient for the rebuilding of the Holy Land.Rabbi Lamm rejects these three explanations as they contradict each other, therefore none of these can be right. It also seems to him abhorrent that G-d Almighty should send such a terrible punishment to the Jewish people. I beg to differ. Is it not possible that all three opinions are justified? Can they not refer to three different wrong attitudes by three different groups in Jewish life.There was one group centralized mainly in Western Europe that tried to assimilate individual Jews to their unJewish environment. Do we not all know the explanation of the Meshesh. Chochmo on Vayikro Ch-27 V.44 in which he predicted that from Berlin, the cradle of Reform, Antisemitism would spread all over the world, and that this sefer was published in 1928. It had been written many years before, when no one thought of Hitler as a menace to the Jewish people and as a threat to the world.And who can overlook the prophecy of Ezekiel (Ch-20, V.32,33) “And that which enters your mind shall not happen to pass. דג)ד949 that which you say let us be like the nations and the families of the earth to serve wood and stone. As I live say the L-rd G־d if I will not reign over you with a Strong Hand and Outstretched Arm and …
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Correspondence

Letter from Prof. Kirschenbaum about "The Face of God"

Dear Norman, I just came across a passage in Chochma Umussar Chelek Bet lehaSabba miKelm that should be of interest to you. After your piece on The Face of God and your presentation of hester panim, Judy remarked, "He may be hiding His face, but He does peek!" But my kushya still stands! Aaron.
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