Critique [of Wiesel's Memoir and God Outside Auschwitz]

I t i s n ot exact l y a g u a rd e d sec ret t h a t Jews, for th ree or four t h o u s a n d y e a r s , h a v e q u es t i on ed w h o t hey were, who t hey a r e, and w h o t h e y a r e g o i ng t o b e a s i nd i v i d u a l s a n d a s me mbers of t h e v ar i ous g r o u p s w i t h i n w h i c h t h e y a ssoc ia te . A nd t h rough t hose m a ny c e n t u r i e s t h ey h a ve ofte n c r i e d out i n a ng u i s h a nd a mbiva l e nce to t h e i r G o d . E l i e W i es e l , w h o w r i t e s w i t h g reat power and a l s o g reat a go n y, i s ce r ta i n ly n ot t h e f i rst wr i t e r to express th ese t h e me s . N or is t h e G e r m a n H o l oc a u s t w i t h a l l of i t s u n spea kab le a n d unfat h o m a ble h o r r o r s t h e f i rs t eve n t to evoke t h ese e m ot i o n s . H av i ng witnessed the d e s t r u ct i o n of t h e T e m p l e i n J e r u s a l em, for exa mple, the p r ophet. J e re m i a h, p o n d e red t h ese p ro b l e m s a nd sent a message to J e ws who h a d b e e n c a r r i e d off i nt o c a p t iv i ty i n B a by l o n . E ssent i a l ly J e r e m i a h's m e s s a g e w a s t h a t G od is every wh ere . T h e s i g n if ica nce of t his s t a te m e n t , b eyo n d t h e f i re a nd b r i mstone of sermons and t h e f i n esse o f t h e e n d l e s s Ta l m u d i c d e bates , i s t h a t be i ng Jewish is a m a tter w h i c h t r a n sce n ds t i me a n d spa c e a n d t h a t t h e va l u es of J uda i s m are u n i v e r s a l . F u n d a m e n t a l l y W i es e l s ay s t h a t too, t h o u g h the p a i n with wh i c h h e s p e a k s a nd t h e i m p l i c at i o n s of h i s message a re ev e n more h o r r i fy i n g to us beca u s e t h e spa c e a n d t n e t i me a bout w h i c h he s p e a k s a re c l o s e r a t h a n d .