How does one go about forgiving someone that actively participated in attempting to wipe our entire race of people; annihilating their culture, their religion? This is the exact predicament Simon Wiesenthal faces when a dying Nazi soldier calls a Jew, any Jew to his bedside confesses all his transgressions and sins to him while on his death bed. Smail Balic knows how Simon feels and can understand what he did because he would have done the same. He believes that if Simon would of forgave him and he is not in the right place to do so. If he would of forgave him for what the Nazi soldier did, he would have only forgiven him on Simons behalf not for everyone.
Simon was stuck in a really awkward situation because a random nurse went up to him and asked if he was a Jew and that’s all she said. Then the nurse took him to an S.S. Nazi and he asked to be forgiven for all the horrible things he did to the Jews. Balić and I have the same idea, “When the SS man plagued by a bad conscience begged him for forgiveness, he saw no choice but to refuse” (109). People would argue that the dying man’s honesty is remorse and eager desire invited the opposite reaction. He just wanted to clear his name and try and be forgiven about what he has done. Everyone that suffered through this has to get some compassion because of what they have gone through. …show more content…
“In order to understand a person who has carried the burden of so much injustice and suffering, we have to imagine ourselves in his position” (110). Just imagine being in Germany during the Holocaust and becoming an SS soldier, and having to do whatever the higher officers say to do. While you’re at your death bed you just keep imagining all the horrible and bad things you did, and the only think that can ease what you are going through is by trying to apologize to a Jew. When he is apologizing for all those things he did, Simon is sitting there thinking about what to say, then when he’s done Simon just walks out of the hospital room. The next day comes and the same nurse walks up to Simon and tells him that the SS soldier died and Simon feels that he did the right thing and can’t cause judgement. “Belated remorse of the young SS man of this story as a sign of hope and a signal of a new democratic beginning for Germany” (110). After this happened Germany evolved and became a very supportive friend of the Jews. Everyone here in time is responsible for their own actions and no one …show more content…
“Only God in his infinite mercy can cleanse the sins of the perpetrators of these crimes” (111). The only person that can forgive this Nazi of what he has done is God. What he has done is way over what any person can say about the situation and about forgiving what he has done. “Those who might appear uninvolved in the actual crimes, but who tolerate acts of torture, humiliation, and murder, are certainly also guilty.” (111). No matter what situation you are in, if you witness the crimes and you watch the torturing going on then you too are guilty and should pay the price for not talking back to what’s
Simon was stuck in a really awkward situation because a random nurse went up to him and asked if he was a Jew and that’s all she said. Then the nurse took him to an S.S. Nazi and he asked to be forgiven for all the horrible things he did to the Jews. Balić and I have the same idea, “When the SS man plagued by a bad conscience begged him for forgiveness, he saw no choice but to refuse” (109). People would argue that the dying man’s honesty is remorse and eager desire invited the opposite reaction. He just wanted to clear his name and try and be forgiven about what he has done. Everyone that suffered through this has to get some compassion because of what they have gone through. …show more content…
“In order to understand a person who has carried the burden of so much injustice and suffering, we have to imagine ourselves in his position” (110). Just imagine being in Germany during the Holocaust and becoming an SS soldier, and having to do whatever the higher officers say to do. While you’re at your death bed you just keep imagining all the horrible and bad things you did, and the only think that can ease what you are going through is by trying to apologize to a Jew. When he is apologizing for all those things he did, Simon is sitting there thinking about what to say, then when he’s done Simon just walks out of the hospital room. The next day comes and the same nurse walks up to Simon and tells him that the SS soldier died and Simon feels that he did the right thing and can’t cause judgement. “Belated remorse of the young SS man of this story as a sign of hope and a signal of a new democratic beginning for Germany” (110). After this happened Germany evolved and became a very supportive friend of the Jews. Everyone here in time is responsible for their own actions and no one …show more content…
“Only God in his infinite mercy can cleanse the sins of the perpetrators of these crimes” (111). The only person that can forgive this Nazi of what he has done is God. What he has done is way over what any person can say about the situation and about forgiving what he has done. “Those who might appear uninvolved in the actual crimes, but who tolerate acts of torture, humiliation, and murder, are certainly also guilty.” (111). No matter what situation you are in, if you witness the crimes and you watch the torturing going on then you too are guilty and should pay the price for not talking back to what’s