[Avodah] Dying al Kiddush Hashem

[Micha Berger]

Rambam, in Maamar Qiddush Hashem (Mosad haRav Kook 1960 edition of
Igeros haRambam pg. 60) writes explicitly that any Jew killed for being
a Jew even if it has nothing to do with conversion, is called 'qadosh'.

In the Warsaw Ghetto, R' Shim'on Huberban, R' Hillel Zeitlin and R'
Menachem Zemba each invokved this Rambam.

Nesivos Shalom based on a R' Zusha and the notion that mitzvos einam
tzerikhos kavanah, writes how someone who doesn't even believe in
Judaism can be part of a national qiddush hasheim even if they themselves
aren't coimmitting a personal one. (Nesivos Shalom, Qunterus haHaruga
Alekha, pp 54-55. This is explained at more length by R' Tamir Granot
at <http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/shoah/12a-shoah.htm>.

(In the next e-shiur,
<http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/shoah/12b-shoah.htm>, RTG continues
with The Slonimer Rebbe's explanation of how this is a critical part of
making the eventual redemption possible.)

Going from Chassidus to Mussar, we have REED in MmE V pg 348 (also found
via RTA). He writes about the choice of how to accept one's death. And
so a maamin who isn't given a choice of whether to live or die can still
choose a death al qiddush Hashem. (Victor Frankl said something parallel
about meaning in death and suffering in how one chooses to die or suffer.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             In the days of our sages, man didn't sin unless
micha at aishdas.org        he was overcome with a spirit of foolishness.
http://www.aishdas.org   Today, we don't do a mitzvah unless we receive
Fax: (270) 514-1507      a spirit of purity.      - Rabbi Israel Salanter