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The Holocaust and October 7
As we mark Yom HaShoah, it is difficult to ignore the comparisons that have emerged over the past year and a half between the Holocaust and the Hamas massacre of October 7. The sheer hatred exhibited by the Hamas terrorists, the savage brutality of their assault, their indiscriminate torture and murder of men, women, the elderly, children, and even infants—along with their grotesque celebration of these acts—evoked haunting echoes of the darkest atrocities committed by the Nazis.
While there are chilling parallels between these two horrors, one critical distinction must be underscored: the scale.
Yitro: Is Shabbat about God, Others or Ourselves?
The 613 mitzvot—commandments—in the Torah are typically divided into two categories, mitzvot bein adam la-makom—mitzvot between ourselves and God, and mitzvot bein adam le-chavero—mitzvot between one person and another. The question is, to which category does Shabbat—the Sabbath—belong and why?
