Chaveireinu Hayikarim,
I hope you and your family are well as we approach Chag Purim. Over the last month, we have been exposed to the utter destruction that has taken place in Haiti. Medinat Yisrael has sanctified G-D's name by establishing the most sophisticated field hospital any nation has seen. Even CNN, no great friend of Israel, has lauded the Israelis. One segment included an interview with an American doctor who stated after seeing the Israeli counterpart to his field hospital, "for the first time in my life I feel ashamed to be an American". The United Nations (no great friend of Israel) and United States recently requested of Israel to send police to help maintain law and order. A question that always arises when one witnesses such mass destruction is, “why does G-D create circumstances whereby thousands of men, women and children are simply destroyed in an instant?” Of course, there is no answer to that nagging question. Moshe Rabbeinu confronted G-D at the conclusion of Parshat Shemot, after Pharaoh had increased the workload following Moshe's request to set Am Yisrael free: למה הרעתה לעם הזה “why have you made life so difficult for your people?” And G-D chose not to answer that question directly. We certainly are not privileged to that information. However, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch suggests that we read the word not as Lamah, why, but rather LeMah - what response can and should be elicited by me when I am privy to this event. For what purpose does G-D want us to become aware of the tragedy? If, indeed, man does nothing, he has no answer to the question LeMah. Our task is to pray for the injured, sympathize with the mourners, and contribute to the relief effort so that we can respond positively to the question Lemah Hareiota, “why has another tragedy struck this world?” Medinat Yisrael has certainly responded positively to this disaster, having experienced so many painful episodes in its own lifetime, and is now applying the lessons she has learned for the betterment of humanity.
Beyedidut Rabbah,
Rabbi Yosef Adler