“Rabbi” of Berlin, I am basing myself on statements of Chazal!!! True, there were great Gedolim in Lithuania, but the rest were mostly off the derech. There was a lot of OTD already and more by the day in Poland. In Hungary – a lot of OTD,but a lot of Frum – no wonder threy were spared more. The Russian Jews were anusim. Again, no wonder — more survived. In Germany — they were OTD for doros – a limud zechus.
And I saw a pshat that the reason for the peace of the Jews post WWII is the fact that the WWII was such a big blow that HKB”H has rachmanus even though there are aveiors in Israel and elsewhere.
Sophistry?!? I am basing myself on divrei Chazal!!One of them — if a person sees suffering coming on him, let him check his deeds!