Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

In the annals of modern European history, Raoul Wallenberg’s name is synonymous with courage.[1] As a Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg (1912-?) had all the right skills to save about 100,000 people from the Nazi death-camps. By the time Wallenberg arrived in Budapest, Adolf Eichmann managed to deport more than 400,000 Jews.

In 1944, Wallenberg decided to get involved in rescuing the Jews of Hungary by issuing “Schutz Passes,” which were fake identification passes that indicated the carrier of this pass was protected by the Swedish government. By the end of the war, he issued over 15,000 passes that saved 15,000 lives. One of his Wallenberg’s good friends, the future Congressman Tom Lantos, described the fearless way Wallenberg would confront the Nazis at the train-stations, as Jews awaited to be sent to their slaughter, “He bluffed his way through,” said Tom Lantos, while adding,  “He had no official authorization. His only authority was his own courage. Any officer could have shot him to death. But he feared nothing for himself and committed himself totally. It was as if his courage was enough to protect himself from everything.”

However, Wallenberg also knew that these passes could only have limited success, other interventions were necessary. So, Wallenberg conceived of a new plan, the “Swedish Safe Houses,” along with soup kitchens, food, medical supplies, and clothing which they offered safety for the Hungarian Jews, who were protected by the Swedish government. Tens of thousands of Jews were that way saved by Wallenberg, or by the embassies of neutral countries who finally decided to follow in Wallenberg’s footsteps.

Only 200,000 Jews remained within the capital. When Wallenberg learned how in December of 1944 that the Nazis were about to slaughter the 70,000 Jews living in the Budapest Central Ghetto, Wallenberg intervened by sending a stern message to General August Schmidthuber that he would personally hold him accountable and would see to it that he would be tried as a war criminal after Germany surrendered to the Allies. Wallenberg’s use of intimidation along with bribery managed to help him save over 100,000 lives. Even after Eichmann ordered the infamous death march where 20,000 out of 58,000 people died, Wallenberg managed to distribute food, blankets, and other important supplies.

The Nazis were careful not to violate his diplomatic immunity out of respect for the Swedish government. One would not think that he was necessarily the heroic type, just by looking at him. But he was capable of being calm and amiable when he needed to be, and also become aggressive and forceful when the occasion demanded it. Because of his impressive personality, Wallenberg managed to achieve his objectives with impunity.

Wallenberg lived a couple blocks away from the SS Headquarters and from Adolf Eichmann. At a dinner meeting, Wallenberg confronted Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Nazi’s “Final Solution” on a number of occasions and even said to him, “Look, face it, you’ve lost the war. Why not give it up now?” Eichmann replied, “I have unfinished business—the extermination of the Hungarian Jews.” And within the same breath, Eichmann threatened Wallenberg, “Don’t think you’re immune just because you’re a diplomat and a neutral!” After his dinner with Eichmann, a truck, days later, Wallenberg’s car was firebombed (some say, it was rammed), and when Wallenberg mentioned the incident to Eichmann, in person, Eichmann immediately apologized. But after Wallenberg left the office, Eichmann said, “I will try again!”

Indeed, by the end of the war, the Nazis decided to go after Wallenberg, but being the man of integrity he was, he refused to flee. He would reply, “To me there’s no other choice. I’ve accepted this assignment and I could never return to Stockholm without the knowledge that I’d done everything in human power to save as many Jews as possible.” Ultimately, he was arrested—not by the Nazis, but by the Russians who assumed that Wallenberg was an American spy, and is reported to have died in a Soviet prison or mental hospital. Many claim to have seen him in Siberian prisons as late as the 1960s.

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[1] Thomas Streissguth, Raoul Wallenberg: Swedish Diplomat and Humanitarian (New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2001).

In one of the most famous Hassidic stories of the 19^th century, Martin Buber relates an anecdote about Rabbi Sheneir Zalman of Liadi, who was imprisoned on grounds of treason by the Russian government. In the exchange between the saintly rabbi and his interrogator, both of these men have a most remarkable encounter.

The old rabbi was once put in jail because the Mitnagdim (defenders of the status quo) had denounced his principles and way of living to the government. He was arrested and sent to St. Petersburg to stand trial for treason. The old rabbi stood accused of sending monies abroad to Israel, which was controlled by the Ottoman Empire, an enemy of Russia. As the very pious man stood in jail, he was very engrossed in meditation. He had hardly noticed the visitor, who happened to be a high-ranking official in the Russian government. He asked the Rebbe, “I have a question on the Bible, and would be most grateful to you if you could give me an adequate answer.”

The Rebbe said to him: “Ask whatever you would like, and with God’s help, I hope to be able to answer your problem.” “How are we to understand that God, the All-Knowing, said to Adam: ‘Where art thou?’ (after he ate the fruit and hid with Eve).” The Rebbe asked, “Do you believe that the Scriptures are eternal and forever relevant in any time and in any place?” The official said that he did.

The Rebbe replied: “The Torah tells us: ‘And God called to the Man [Adam]’ (Gen. 3:9). This teaches us that God speaks to every individual and asks him, ‘Where are you—i.e., where do you stand in relationship to this world?’ God has allotted each of us a certain number of days and years, each of which is to be utilized for the doing of good in relation to both God and humankind. Therefore, ask yourself: How many days have you lived already and how much good have you accomplished during that time? You, for instance, have lived already 46 years, how did you use your time?” The official was deeply amazed and thrilled by the fact that the Rebbe had guessed his right age and put his hand on the prisoner’s shoulder, while nervously exclaiming: “Bravo!”[1]

Martin Buber developed existential insights intimated by this question, “Where art thou?”  In mythic terms, God’s conversation occurs whenever human beings create the space to encounter and hear the Word of God unfold within the human heart. This broad theological message applies to all human beings of all ages.

In ancient times, the prophets and later the Essenes resided in the wilderness where they could be more receptive to God’s Presence. The Early Church Fathers built monasteries in the wilderness to help them develop their sense of the Sacred. In the 18^th-19^th centuries, R. Israel Eliezer, a.k.a., the Baal Shem Tov and his grandson, R.  Nachman of Bratzlav, along with others recommended that worshippers find God in the uninhabited areas apart from civilization. In the stillness of the forest or in the fields one can discover the Presence of God that reaches out and inspires the soul.

In terms of Israel’s development of faith, the wilderness experience taught the ancient Israelites that “human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deut. 9:4). The miracle of the manna taught the Israelites that God is capable of nourishing and guiding a people despite external circumstances and conditions. For the hungry and starving Israelites, the manna represented God’s mastery over the primordial forces of chaos—God’s ability to provide—even in the most hostile and uninhabitable environment. Manna could not be hoarded by the wealthy and used to exploit the impoverished members of society. There were no class distinctions; nobody had to qualify for sustenance. Each person was provided with exactly what s/he needed, not more or less (even Marx might have been impressed). Most importantly, the manna taught ancient Israel that sustenance came to the Israelites in marvelous and unexpected ways.  From hunger to fullness, from scarcity to abundance, Israel learned that her destiny is not dependent upon natural forces. Manna is God’s reminder that all food is God’s gift to the world—from the most extravagant banquet to the smallest portion of bread. Continue Reading