Fate and Destiny: From Holocaust to the State of Israel
The central theme of the late Rabbi Soloveitchik's theological examination of the Holocaust and the rise of the State of Israel he states this way: "The imperative to transform our existence from a causally determined, purely natural existence (fate) into an active, meaningful one suffused with a sense of purpose (destiny)." He posits that it is senseless to raise the metaphysical question of why there is evil in the world, adding that the human mind is not equipped to tackle this problem. Instead of looking for an explanation of our fate, he believes that we should ask ourselves how we can respond to evil in a manner that will enable us to emerge from this experience as better moral and spiritual beings.Fateand Destiny, originally published in Hebrew, is highly relevant and will be of interest to Jews and non-Jews alike.George CohenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved