What lesson can we learn from the D-Day invasion of Europe which occurred 76 years ago this week?
ANSWER:
I remember on D-Day in my Shul in Boston, people came and we said tehillim. Hitler had announced, and it was accepted by the entire Germanic people, that now there's a new order in Europe; the German Reich would last a thousand years. He was all powerful. At that time nobody challenged him, and now Hakadosh Baruch Hu showed a mapala of the reshoim. As soon as the Allies landed on the European coast they started destroying the armies of the Nazis.
Now that's an important lesson, we have to know that sooner or later the tzedek will conquer; wickedness does not last in this world. People look only for the moment, all the reshaim that you see who seem to be successful, you watch and you'll see what's going to happen. The end is always unsuccessful and unhappy. Hitler didn't realize that someday he'll have to commit suicide to save himself. And so D-Day was the beginning of the retribution on the wicked. It's very important for us to keep in mind, that beforehand nobody could see any end to his power. Nobody dreamed that he would come to such an end. He was wiped out quickly – the entire Nazi regime was wiped out.
In the times of the communist regime in Russia, it was unthinkable that this would ever stop. Jews in Russia gave up their identity. Except for small groups here and there, otherwise they gave up their identity. They stopped circumcising themselves, they spoke Russian, and many intermarried with Russian gentiles, and they thought from now on equality for all peoples, the communist regime will spread all over the world, all the nations are following us, and therefore it seemed forever and ever. Who would have dreamed the time would come when the whole thing would collapse like a big bubble, and nothing would remain of the communist regime at all!
And so we have to learn that sooner or later Hashem brings a mapala on the reshaim. And so everything that happens in this world is for our lesson, so D-Day comes to teach us, the mapala of the reshaim is imminent!
When Rome was all-powerful, they destroyed the Bais Hamikdash, there were some Jews who were very much dispirited. How could such a thing happen? Rome ruled all over Europe, from Great Britain down into Africa – everywhere they were supreme. Did they dream that some day would come and Rome would no longer exist at all? The entire Roman culture – its religion, and its government would be wiped out of existence from the face of the earth? Nobody dreamed that.
And so when we see the conduct of history by Hashem, it teaches us that sof kol sof, the wickedness is destroyed.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210