Do I still have to apologize for the things that happened during the Third Reich? Isn’t there something like forgiveness within your religion? People who keep on bugging someone with the things he has done, beyond apologies are considered as weak characters. What do you think?
A lot depends on WHAT is being done to you. For example it would be wrong for a Jew (or non-Jew) to cheat you in business. All non-Jews are entitled to property rights. Even if they formerly belonged to the 3rd Reich.
However you did not mention anyone cheating you. I don’t believe you were active during the 3rd Reich and I don’t think this is your problem.
Jewish law discusses “forgiveness” in various contexts. Generally “verbal insults” should be forgiven. If the person does not forgive (after being adequately apologized to) we consider the person weak (as you yourself pointed out).
But certain non-verbal sins should not be forgiven quickly. For example suppose I did carpentry work for your home. I have the right (under common sense and Jewish law) to “bug you” until you pay me. Jewish law is very clear that “monetary sins” are not forgiven till fully compensated for. The victim can grant forgiveness without compensation, but he has every right not to.
During the 3rd Reich, besides the killing of people, there was confiscation of property. The survivors and the their descendants have a right to full Compensation from the German government. True the 3rd Reich was a mad military movement from which the present German people disowns itself but “forgiveness” requires full compensation. The German people must collectively bear the responsibility of their government and fully compensate all survivors and/or their descendants. Concerning each individual German, they have to do much personal, familial, and communal soul searching to determine whether they need to personally seek forgiveness.
We have so far discussed verbal and monetary sins. But what about sins of physical violence. Jewish law requires for forgiveness of physical violence both monetary restitution and personal appeasement and apology. At the very least Germany should create museums (Similar to museums in Israel) with the names of all victims. Those who are alive should be publicly apologized to on German soil.
Let us consider an analogy. Suppose someone was drunk and broke your arm. Jewish law states that you need not forgive him till full monetary compensation was provided and he adequately apologized to you. For example, you might not want to forgive him unless he gave up drinking.
The point of this analogy is that the German government has not fully prosecuted all surviving Nazis.
I can go further. Suppose someone blinded you. Here the damage is permanent. Yes, Jewish law requires forgiveness but the person must compensate you for the life you could have lived with your eyes. The apology must take into account your lost capacities. You must feel that every effort has been made to compensate you not only for what you have lost but for the richness of life that you could have gained.
Whether the victim of physical damage is required to forgive is not the concern of the one who caused the damage. Their focus should be on begging for forgiveness and appeasing the victim to the extent that is possible. We have no right to judge the victim for not forgiving – that is between him and G-d. No one should expect any survivor to forgive the horrors they’ve experienced.
I have only sketched a brief answer in this short essay. But I wish to emphasize that the issue is not forgiveness but the method of forgiveness and the degree of sacrifice that the offender must show.
I hope this gives you some perspective on this very sensitive issue.
Respectfully
Russell Jay Hendel;