“Why Does the Way of the Wicked Prosper?”: Aaron Kaminka’s Theological Response to the Persecution of the Jews

Rabbi Dr. Aaron Kaminka’s theological response to the persecution of Jews in Nazi-occupied countries and Germany’s extraordinary military success at the beginning of World War II operates on two planes. On the Jewish national plane, Rabbi Kaminka deals with “examining one’s actions” in view of the tribulations befalling the Jewish people. The general notion of “suffering induced by sin” is preserved, but the nature of the sin deviates from any previous traditional approach. The Jews, he contends, sinned not by transgressing a specific commandment in the Torah, but by failing to fulfill the Jewish people’s historical destiny— disseminating the Torah among the nations of the world—which he considers an all-embracing task that transcends the value of any personal commandment.

On the second, universal plane, Rabbi Kaminka deals primarily with the question of theodicy in the context of Nazi Germany’s victories. Ultimately, he pronounces Germany’s success temporary and, from the perspective of time, imaginary as well, since a fleeting success often leads to a more painful downfall. However, the Jews’ suffering is discussed on this plane as well and receives a universalistic Jewish explanation adapted from the private to the national plane. That is, for the righteous— in this context the righteous nation, with its mission of benefiting humankind— it is the spiritual aspect that counts, and from this perspective, we cannot speak of a bad reward for the righteous, because a good deed is its own reward.