Omer 2025 Day 23

Day 22 | Day 24

Day 23: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Gevurah in Netzach, Strength in Endurance

"As a professor in two fields, neurology and psychiatry, I am fully aware of the extent to which man is subject to biological, psychological and sociological conditions. But in addition to being a professor in two fields I am a survivor of four camps - concentration camps, that is - and as such I also bear witness to the unexpected extent to which man is capable of defying and braving even the worst conditions conceivable."

"Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how.'"

Viktor Frankl was a neurologist, psychologist, and Holocaust survivor. His book, Man's Search for Meaning, is up there with Night by Elie Wiesel and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank as one of the most-read memoirs of the Holocaust, and for good reason. His book is not only a window into the horrors of the Holocaust and the strength of the survivors, but an insightful exploration of how we make and find meaning in our lives. Frankl’s ability to not only survive such unimaginable suffering, but to integrate that experience into his groundbreaking work in psychology and neurology, is what makes his story both intellectually powerful and deeply human.

At the heart of Man’s Search for Meaning is the idea that strength comes from our capacity to endure suffering with purpose. Frankl observed that those who survived the camps often did so not because they were physically stronger, but because they had a reason to live—a sense of meaning that transcended their immediate circumstances. His own reasons were the hope of seeing his wife again (not knowing that she had been killed in another camp) and completing his professional work. By imagining a future beyond the camps where those things would be possible, Frankl demonstrated the strength and endurance of the human spirit.