Over de verborgenheid van God. De preken van rabbi Shapira in het getto van Warschau

Abstract

This article examines sermons on the hiddenness of God rabbi Shapira delivered during the years 1939-1942 under unbearable circumstances in the ghetto of Warsaw. Based on studies of the Hebrew Bible and the Jewish tradition, the Hasidic rabbi explores the problem of God’s hiddenness in order to support perseverance in this dreadful environment. The article begins with a summary of non-European rabbinical reactions to the rumours of eradication of the Jews and then proceeds to discuss rabbi Shapira’s five ‘concepts’ of God's hiddenness. These concepts find their theological focus in the unity of God and his people.