Question:
The expression that the Jews of World War Two "went like sheep to the slaughter," is that true?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
Why talk about the Jews? Didn't the French in World War Two
go like sheep to the slaughter? The French prepared beforehand a
Maginot Line. Now this line contained all the technology of modern
warfare. There were deep trenches, there were weapons of warfare; they
were trained in defending these installations. When Hitler came, it was
like it didn't exist. He went through it like nobody's business, and the
French just yielded like sheep before the wolf. So the French also went
like sheep to the slaughter.
Not only the Jews; everybody did. It's only because the
world has an attitude of trying to belittle the Jews, so the Jews are
pointed out. What happened to the Polish army? The Polish were big balei
gieva, showoffs. They were proud of their national prowess. When the
time came it was nothing .The Polish army melted away with all the
soldiers and tanks, it melted away, it was nothing. The Jews didn't have
any tanks, they didn't have any soldiers; what do you expect of them?
What could they do? If the Jews would have fought back not one would
have remained. Who remained of the Warsaw ghetto? Nobody! Who said it
was such a smart thing? It's only foolish people, sensationalists, who
talk about the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto. It's as silly as could be.
If they hadn't made the uprising a lot of Jews would have remained.
Jews remained all over the world. Wherever Hitler went,
Jews remained. Of course not enough. But the fact that they fought back
meant it was a death sentence. The chacmei hatorah didn't say fight
back. Because after all, the Germans were not that thorough, a lot of
Jews escaped. But when they started fighting back then the Germans
brought all their tanks and all their flame throwers and they wiped out
all the Jews. So going like sheep is not a foolish tactic. When you have
no alternative the best thing is not to fight. It's a silly thing
that's used by American people. Now I don't wish it on American Jews,
but if they were in the same situation they wouldn't have been a bit
better.
Our forefathers understood this; they didn't fight against
the nations. They sought to placate the nations. And by the way, it was
one of the biggest mistakes, before World War Two when they made a
boycott against Germany and they enraged the Germans. Had they followed
the council of our sages at that time, they would have bribed Hitler's
lieutenant. You know, Hitler's lieutenants were mercenary people, you
could buy them. You could send things to them - secretly. They would
have pocketed a lot of money, but they would let a lot of Jews out. The
story would have been different.
And so, this bravado, this false heroism of fighting back
and being killed like a hero, is not the way chosen by Jews. We believe
it's better to live not like a hero, than to die like a hero.
"A moment with Rabbi Miller" email
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