Faith During Auschwitz and the Paradox O
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In the darkest hours of the Holocaust, two Hasidic rabbis crafted revolutionary theological responses that transformed traditional Jewish mystical approaches to suffering. Through close analysis of Rabbi Kalonimos Kalmish Shapiro's *Esh Kodesh*, written in the Warsaw Ghetto (1939-1942), and Rabbi Issachar Shlomo Teichtal's *Em Ha-Banim S'mehah*, composed in Budapest (1943), a striking pattern emerges: both authors reject passive acceptance of suffering in favor of active partnership with divine will. Their texts, examined through four key themes - theodicy, martyrdom (*kiddush ha-Shem*), protests against divine justice, and spiritual encouragement - reveal how protest against God paradoxically strengthens rather than diminishes religious commitment. Shapiro interprets suffering as concealed divine revelation demanding human partnership, while Teichtal advocates practical Zionist action as a path to redemption. Together, these documents represent a fundamental shift in Jewish theological thinking, establishing *tikkun* (restoration/repair) as the central principle that transforms Holocaust suffering into an imperative for sanctifying life and ensuring Jewish continuity.

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Published 1977
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Pesach Schindler