“Vayishma Yisro” – “Jethro heard” – he heard and he listened. He heard
that Moses, his son-in-law, had led the people out of Egypt. So he took
his daughter, (Moses’ wife) and their two children and joined the Children
of Israel in the wilderness. Rabbi Hyman's Sermons - Archive
Sermon for Holocaust Memorial Day
January 2008
by Rabbi Geoffrey Hyman
Rashi asks: “Mah shmua shama uvo” - what did Jethro hear that made him
come? He answers: he heard the miracle of the dividing of the sea and the
war of Amalek. However, in the Talmud (Zevachim 116a), when the Rabbis
asked: “what did he hear?” They go on to quote three views and the
dividing seas is one opinion, whilst the war of Amalek is another view. So
why does Rashi weave them into one?
Let me suggest the following. When Amalek attacked the Children of Israel
in the wilderness, it was after the Egyptians had perished in the final
confrontation with the Israelites. The Egyptians were behind the
Israelites and the Sea was front of them – no way back and no way forward,
but a miracle happened and the Sea split. The Israelites passed over to
the other side and the Egyptians were annihilated. And yet Amalek
attacked! Did he not realise what had happened to the Egyptians in their
last stand? Yet as we are told in the verse, “velo yerei Elokim” - “he
did not fear G-d” – isn’t absurd to tell us that such a wicked man did not
fear G-d? But what it means here is, because he didn’t fear G-d he
purposely chose to ignore the fate of the Egyptians. He ignored the fact
that the Bnei Yisroel had just been saved by G-d against the Egyptians
with the incredible miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea. Here is a
people saved by G-d yet Amalek attacked. He thought himself infallible.
“Vayishma Yisro” - “and Jethro heard” – that is what he heard! He heard
that Amalek had refused to learn from what had happened to the Egyptians
when they tried to attack the Israelites by the Red Sea – he didn’t want
to accept that the Children of Israel were protected by G-d.
This Sunday 27th January is Holocaust Memorial Day, as designated by the
Government. The national Holocaust Memorial Day service is being hosted
this year by Liverpool. On Monday 28th, the local events are being held.
Here in Redbridge this will take place at the Memorial Gardens in
Valentines Park, at 11am, and in the evening in the Shul there will be a
talk given by Alec Ward – a survivor of the Holocaust. Please support the
local events.
The Nazi period, culminating in the Holocaust, was the work of a nation in
the mould of Amalek. For despite the survival of the Jewish people
throughout the ages against all odds, the Nazis like Amalek “did not hear
anything”. They too were oblivious and chose to ignore the facts of our
history, thinking themselves infallible, just like Amalek.
That is why Holocaust Memorial Day is important – that people “HEAR AND
LISTEN” – THAT EVIL MUST BE PUNISHED.
That people will learn that when the world has no space for difference -
it has no space for humanity.
That when hate takes hold of the human heart - it turns to stone.
That when the world stops hearing – it ends in war.
And that when the world stops listening – it no longer hears the cry of
the victims.
We as Jews will never forget the Holocaust – and we pray that so too may
the world never forget.
We pray for peace throughout the world.
Dear to us is our homeland Israel, may it be blessed with peace.
Let peace and tolerance, love and care, permeate G-d’s world.
We pray with fervour for the fulfilment of the Messianic Dream as referred
to in today’s Haftoroh.
May it be fulfilled speedily in our own days,
Bimhero veyomeinu – Amen.
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