The Key to Everything

“Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth became full of robbery”. (Bereishit 6:11) 

Not So Polite 

Many years before the Holocaust, R’ Elchanan Wasserman, zt”l, was invited to speak at a rabbinic convention in Berlin, Germany. 
 

He opened his remarks to this group of esteemed rabbis by saying: “Many people think that the German people are polite, well-mannered and refined. However, since they do not have faith rooted in religion, they are capable of the worse behaviors, even murder. This is what Avraham Avinu explained to Avimelech, the King of the Plishtim, when he said, “For I said, ‘Surely, there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'(Bereishit 20:11) Even if a culture is perfect and every behavior is proper, without yirat shemyaim, Fear of Heaven, the population can deteriorate to the point where they can become savage killers.” 
 

After the war, one of the rabbis who was at that convention said that the words of R’ Elchanan deeply offended the gathered rabbis. They said amongst themselves, “How could this Eastern European Rav come here, to this peaceful and refined country, and tell us that they are all capable of murder!? It is impossible!” 
 

After a few years, unfortunately, they all saw, along with the rest of the world, how correct the goan’s words were.  
 

At the Crossroads 

We find in many Seforim, that a gentile who is a heretic and denies the existence of the Creator, is in general a more dangerous and worse person than a gentile who believes in God, even if the believer also has other false beliefs according to his traditional religion. 
 

The Polish people are devout Christians. At every intersection where there was a crossroads, the sign indicating the road names would have a shape of a cross at the top of the post. Travelers would stop at each and every intersection and pay their respects to their religious symbol, even though it was just a road sign. 
 

The Baal Shem Tov, zt”l, related that when he would travel by wagon, if the driver did not stop by these signs and pay his respect, he would get out of the wagon and travel no further with that driver. The Baal Shem Tov explained that without religion, that driver was capable of spilling innocent blood in order to get money or anything else.  
 

An Era of Violence 

This is clear to anyone who thinks about it. Without emunah, faith in a Higher Power, in One who knows and sees what is hidden in the depths of our hearts, a person can abandon any middot, attributes, or ideals, when they conflict with his own personal gains and advantages. 
 

We all saw this during the Holocaust. It was specifically Germany, an advanced and sophisticated culture, that demonstrated to the world that mankind is capable of unfathomable cruelty, a cruelty that had never been seen since the creation of the world. 
 

Roughly 200 years ago, when there were tremendous advances in science, philosophy, education etc., people thought that this would usher in an age of freedom, peace, and harmony. That humanity had intellectually evolved, and that senseless violence would become a relic of the past. 
 

However, the exact opposite was true. The 20th century saw more death and violence than all the centuries prior. The death and murder of all the Crusades pale in comparison to the murders in just one concentration camp. 
 

Hitler, may his name be erased, claimed to be striving for the good of humanity. He preached manners and wanted a sophisticated German people. So too the Russian leader Stalin, may his name be erased, claimed that Communism would help all of humanity. Yet, these two men alone are responsible for the deaths of tens of millions who were murdered in horrific ways in the name of these philosophies. 
 

Nowadays, we are seeing an increase in violence all around the world because today’s global society disregards religion and religious values. In the absence of fearing a Higher Power, a God that is all-knowing and all-capable, chaos and disorder rule. Without faith in God, without believing in Divine principles like the commandments of “do not steal” and “do not murder,” society deteriorates; morals evaporate, and their humanity fades away. Everyone selfishly focuses on themselves, their own needs, their own wants, and many times they pursue their own good regardless of the cost to others. They are even willing to destroy the lives of anyone who stands in their way.  
 

History Repeats Itself 

The truth is, our current cultural environment existed 4,000 years ago, during the Generation of the Flood. That generation was also lawless. It was a culture consumed with murder, theft, and illicit sexual behaviors. Not only was this an unfit culture for the Jews who would one day accept the Torah, but even the non-Jews could no longer live this way. 
 

Realizing that the world could not continue to exist like this, Hashem brought a flood that destroyed every living person. And for this not to repeat itself, Hashem commanded Noach and his descendants to observe the Seven Noahide Laws. These laws are fundamental to allow society and the world to continue to exist. 
 

The Baal Shem Tov and other tzaddikim taught that in the era just prior to the arrival of Mashiach, the souls of the Generation of the Flood will come back into this world through reincarnation. Therefore, in that era, murder, theft and illicit behaviors will once again become prominent. Therefore, it is incumbent on every yid to strengthen and fortify himself; to protect himself from the influence of the heretic society. 
 

The Klauzenberger Rebbe, zt”l, explained that the arrival of Mashiach will benefit the entire world as it says, “until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples. ” The Rebbe explained that the entire world will gather, because during the generation before Mashiach arrives, the world will plunge into a state of violence and murder. There will be tyrannical rulers with weapons of mass destruction that could annihilate the entire world in a single moment. Mashiach will be the only salvation from their own self-destruction. Therefore, they will gather and rally around the arrival of Mashiach, and return to keeping the Seven Noahide Laws, bringing the world to a full state of tikkun, repair and perfection.
 

First Deny God, Then Deny Humanity 

This is possible what our pasuk is teaching us: 
 

“The earth was corrupt before God” – at first, they just denied the existence of God. They didn’t believe in a Higher Power. They were heretics. But, among themselves they were cordial, polite, and refined. Their society behaved properly with one another. 
 

However, eventually, without faith or religion, society deteriorated and the second part of the pasuk happened: “and the earth became full of robbery” – the world became corrupt and overwhelmed with murder and robbery. Only through faith can a society remain on a just and straight path. 

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The Kalever Rebbe is the seventh Rebbe of the Kaalov Chasidic dynasty, begun by his ancestor who was born to his previously childless parents after receiving a blessing from the Baal Shem Tov zy”a, and later learned under the Maggid of Mezeritch zt”l. The Rebbe has been involved in outreach for more than 30 years, and writes weekly emails on understanding current issues through the Torah. You can sign up at www.kaalov.org.