The Nations’ Reward to Israel

“But if you will diligently keep this entire commandment… you shall drive out nations greater and mightier than yourselves.” (Devarim 11:22–23) 

Nazism in the “Modern” World 

When a person faces hardship or suffering that is beyond the natural order, they should recognize that it comes through Hashgachah Pratit — Divine Providence — and that everything Hashem does is ultimately for our good. 

R’ Yonasan Eybeschutz zt”l, in Ya’aros Devash (Part I, Derush 11), explains the verse (Tehillim 3:1), “A psalm of David when he fled from his son Avshalom.” David HaMelech sang praise as Avshalom pursued him to kill him, because such cruelty — a son turning against his father — is contrary to the natural order. From this, Dovid understood that the hardship was sent from Heaven for his benefit, to awaken him to repentance. 

A similar insight can be drawn from the events of the Holocaust. Historians have long struggled to understand how, in such a “modern” and “enlightened” world, a band of depraved individuals could seize control of many large and powerful nations and orchestrate the murder of millions of Jews. Countless occurrences during the war defy rational or natural explanation. In truth, these events were decreed from Heaven, unfolding beyond the bounds of nature. 

The Failure of Assimilation 

One of the most striking aspects of the Holocaust — beyond its vast, unnatural scope and unimaginable horror — was the conduct of the nations of the world. Many had reaped enormous benefits from the Jewish people over the years, receiving help and support in countless ways. Yet this did not deter them from persecuting and killing those very same Jews. By any standard of human decency, such a level of ingratitude is almost inconceivable. 

The Shefa Chaim of Klausenberg (Klausenberger Rebbe), zt”l recounted one such example. In Budapest, prior to the Holocaust, there lived an assimilated Jew who served as president of Hungary’s central bank. During his tenure, he rescued the nation’s economy from the brink of collapse. 

Yet during the Holocaust, when the Germans came to deport him—together with the rest of Hungary’s Jews—to Auschwitz, his non-Jewish wife abandoned him, and the Hungarian government made no attempt whatsoever to intervene on his behalf. 

When the Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l encountered him in Auschwitz, he sought to awaken within him a return to his Jewish roots. The Rebbe asked: “Tell me, how is it that in your time of trouble your non-Jewish wife deserted you, and the Hungarian people did nothing to save you?” 

The man stood silent for a moment, deep in thought, and then replied, “Rebbe, I have considered your words, and I now realize I was mistaken. I have resolved that when we leave this place, I will once again live as a Jew and will marry a good, sincere Jewish woman.” 

History Tells a Story 

Many make the mistake of believing that if Jews assimilate more fully into the surrounding culture, extend themselves further in service, and offer greater assistance, the deep-seated hatred toward the Jews will gradually fade. They imagine that such generosity will inspire lasting gratitude from the nations. 

History, however, tells a different story. 

Across every era and every land, the nations of the world have drawn extensively upon the contributions of the Jewish people. There is not a single nation that has not benefited from the Jews — whether in matters of spirit or in the realm of material advancement. 

The very foundations of moral and ethical life, the core principles of faith and justice, were inherited from Israel. The laws and legal systems of nearly every civilization owe much to the statutes of the Torah. Countless innovations that have enriched and preserved life — especially in the field of medicine, but also in science, technology, and the arts — have been conceived and developed by Jews. 

In our own day, the Nobel Prize is bestowed annually upon those who have made extraordinary contributions to humanity. A review of the recipients over the years reveals that more than twenty percent are Jewish. This is a staggering figure when one considers that Jews constitute barely one in every 500 people worldwide. In other words, one in every five Nobel laureates is Jewish — a rate of achievement one hundred times greater than our proportion in the global population. 

In commerce, too, Jews have long stood at the forefront of international trade, their influence fueled by keen intellect, mastery of languages, and strong connections to Jewish communities across borders. 

The same is true in governance. Leaders throughout history have sought the counsel of the Jewish people, who the Torah calls “a wise and understanding people.” As my holy grandfather, R’ Yitzchak Eizik of Komarno, zt”l writes in Notzer Chesed (22:22), “No kingdom can function properly without Israel.” Likewise, the Meor Einayim (Parshat Emor) notes that every successful monarch has had a Jewish advisor. 

And yet, despite the clear dictates of reason and fairness, that a nation should repay the people whose wisdom and strategies helped secure its greatness, the reality is otherwise. 

When Jews abandon the proper observance of Torah and mitzvot, Heaven decrees that the nations will turn ungrateful, withholding any return of kindness. 

Even when Jews have attempted to demand what is rightfully theirs as a matter of justice, their efforts have failed, for the Divine Will is that Israel not draw too close to the ways of the nations. 

No Reward for Jews 

We see this even now. Jews offer vast contributions to the nations—brilliant counsel, ingenious solutions, groundbreaking innovations that improve both private life and public welfare, even decisive aid in the governance of states and in wars against murderous enemies. 

These efforts benefit all humanity, and especially the Western world. 

Yet if, in the course of such service, Jews adopt the culture and values of the nations while casting off the yoke of the mitzvot, they will not be rewarded. On the contrary, they may find that goodwill is replaced with hostility, and benefit with harm. 

Don’t Neglect Mitzvot 

This is the message of the verse: “If you will diligently keep this entire commandment…”—then, and only then, “you shall drive out nations greater and mightier from you” — nations whose strength and greatness were, in part, built from your own contributions. 

If the mitzvot are neglected, you will not merit to inherit from these nations or to share in the fruits of their success; instead, they will bring you hardship and suffering. 

Only when you remain steadfast in the observance of the Torah, you will open the channels for the abundant blessings and Divine influence destined for you. 

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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. Sign up at www.kaalov.org.