Daf Yomi Kiddushin 70
After being liberated from Auschwitz, my grandfather, Eli
Friedman – or “Poppa” as we called him – returned home to Kosice,
Czechoslovakia. Arriving at his house,
he noticed noise coming from inside. He
rang the bell and a burly Slovak fellow answered.
“Uh, thank you for house-sitting for me while I was away,
but I’m back now,” says Poppa.
“I’m sorry, there must be some mistake,” replies the Slovak,
“you look confused. Those years in the
camp must have shaken you up quite a bit.
This is our house. We’ve always
lived here. I hope you find your home.”
Poppa wasn’t deterred.
Shortly prior to the Germans’ arrival into town, his father who was
murdered by the Nazis, saw the writing on the wall. He took all their gold, silver, jewellery,
and important documents, and buried them in the backyard.
“I have proof that this is my house,” Poppa responds to the
Slovak, “I’m just going to the backyard, and you’ll see!”
Prior to the war, Poppa had been a strong young man. He was originally chosen to represent
Czechoslovakia in the 1936 Olympics in shotput and discus, until Hitler prohibited
all Jews from participating. But after
three years in and out of concentration camps, he was no match for the big
Slovak.
Chased out of his own childhood home, he went to the
police. He told them the story and, to
his surprise, they were responsive. They
agreed to have an officer accompany him home to assist him with entry into the
backyard. But alas, by the time they
arrived, all that was left was some freshly dug dirt. While Poppa was filing his claim at the
station, the evil Slovak was removing all the evidence.
Poppa was completely devastated. Not only had he lost everyone he loved in the
war, now he had also lost everything his family had ever owned. He was all alone and penniless on the streets
in a hostile environment. From his
upper-middle class childhood, he now found himself washing dishes and scrubbing
floors in a local restaurant.
Tragically, Poppa’s story was not unique. Many Jews returned home from the camps to
find they’d been dispossessed. That
while they were being tortured and killed, the peasant locals had been enjoying
everything they’d worked hard to achieve and gather for generations. While most of them managed to pick themselves
up and eventually begin their lives anew, until today we are living the
consequences of the aftermath of the Jews’ return to their homes in cities and
villages across Europe. How so?
It was taught: Whoever
questions others’ lineage, he himself is tainted and never praises others
people.
Rashi explains: Tainted people never have anything nice to
say about anyone else.
Shmuel says: He
accuses others with his own blemish.
Carl Jung introduced the concept of Transference to the world of psychology. According to Jung, people with psychological
issues will often transfer their personal misgivings onto others and accuse
them of the same shortcomings. It’s
clear from the Gemara that Jung didn’t invent the concept. Shmuel taught it fifteen hundred years
earlier!
As the Gemara explains, some people never have anything nice
to say about anyone else. They’re forever
criticizing others and some go so far as to try to completely undermine and
invalidate them! I’m always shocked
when someone approaches me and tries to tell me that a community member who
converted isn’t a real Jew because their observance level wasn’t up to
snuff. Who do they think they are: G-d’s
policeman?
Actually, the Gemara tells us who they are: someone who goes
around trying to disqualify others means that they themselves are tainted. Why
are they so intent on ruining other people’s lives and reputations? Shmuel explains: it’s about
transference. They take their own blemish
and project it onto the other person.
Who are the worst enemies of the State of Israel today? Not the Arabs. Believe it or not, many Arab nations have
pretty good behind-the-scenes relationships with the Jewish state. With ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Iran to deal with,
the Jews are the least of their concerns.
You know who the biggest anti-Semites in the world are? The Europeans.
They are leading the way in Israel-bashing, from the campuses to the
parliaments. They’re the ones leading
the charge that Israel is an occupier, that Israel has stolen Palestinian land
and property. Why would that be? Europe that is so enlightened! Europe that is so progressive and universally-minded!?!
The answer is transference.
When the Jews were carted off to the concentration camps, instead of standing
up to the Nazis, Europeans ran as fast as they could to occupy our homes and
businesses. Their financial institutions
stole our bank accounts and seized our assets.
When we came back they denied us entry into our own homes, slamming the
door in our faces.
And for the last seventy years, they’ve lived with this
guilt. They’ve passed on these blemishes
to their children and grandchildren who know that their wealth was achieved by
ill-gotten means. It’s not easy to live
with yourself knowing that your grandparents were murderers and thieves. And that you continue to benefit from their
illicit behaviour.
So what do you do to alleviate your guilt? You transfer it back to the object of your
scorn and resentment. And so the Jews
become the occupiers. The Jews become
the thieves and murderers. Instead of being
eternally contrite and remorseful, the Europeans have become emboldened, as the
world has slowly but surely forgotten their monstrous crimes.
Our communal memory is not that short. We will not be bullied into submission once
more. By the grace of Heaven, we are now
in control of our national destiny. And
Baruch Hashem, we have nations like Canada, the US, and Australia that won’t
fall for European hypocrisy. May we
merit the prevailing of the truth, and peace in the Holy Land and on Earth
speedily in our days!
