As I’ve said before, question everything. Faith requires a healthy dose of skepticism about everything we think we know.

One of the most often asked about and pondered upon questions is a simple one: why does God allow evil to thrive?

And to narrow it down to a more concrete example: why did God permit the unspeakable horror of the Holocaust to occur?

I recently came across some of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks videos and writings. Rabbi Sacks, who has passed away, articulated the answer very well. Here are four of his quotes.

“The Holocaust was not God’s will. It was the result of human beings choosing evil and refusing to see the divine image in others.”

“God did not permit the Holocaust. God does not will evil. What happened was what happens when humanity walks away from God.”

“The question is not ‘Where was God?’ but ‘Where was man?’ God calls us to be His partners in defending life, dignity, and justice.”

“The Holocaust teaches not that God abandoned humanity, but that humanity abandoned God’s command to honor every life as sacred.”