By Rabbi Yossi Gordon
By Rabbi Yossi Gordon
When I try explaining to people about our limited human understanding of G-d’s ways, I sound a bit like His advocate; -so here’s my disclaimer: I am not G-d's defense attorney. Actually, my natural sympathies lie with the plaintiff.
At our Shabbat dinner, I mentioned the miraculous Six Day War victory in 1967, but my guest lovingly disagreed. (I say ‘lovingly’ because although we strongly disagreed on most issues that evening, I love the guy and I know he loves me.)
He opined that the Six Day War couldn’t be a miracle, because if G-d wanted to perform a miracle He should’ve stopped the Holocaust. I sighed; I’ll now have to go to bat for G-d again.
I explained that just because we don't always agree with G-d’s timing, it doesn’t make the miracle any less miraculous. The problem is that we see life only through a limited vision lens that doesn’t let us recognize our own inability to perceive His intentions.
(I certainly wish G-d would have prevented the pain and suffering of our people through any means, and can’t even begin to fathom the terror and suffering they endured. My objection may sound like nerve and chutzpah, but I’m just exercising my G-d given right to demand visible and revealed Divine intervention.)
Once, while wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites complained against G-d, and were punished by venomous snakes (Numbers 21). They pleaded with Moses to pray on their behalf, and G-d instructed Moses to make a copper snake and place it high on a pole for all to see, so that anyone bitten can look up, see it, and be cured.
The Talmud comments that just looking at the copper snake was not really the cure. Rather, “...Israel was healed by looking heavenward and subjecting their hearts to their Father in heaven.”
A basic question: If the snake was just a means of getting people to focus heavenward, why couldn’t Moses just instruct the people to think of G-d?
The great Chabad Chassidic master, Rabbi Schneur Zalman (1745-1812) explains:
When something seems bad to us, we must remember that everything has its source within G-d’s goodness. But our physical world is not always compatible with the Divine energy manifesting itself down here in the form of hidden good, which is actually apparent bad.
It is obviously a great challenge to see the inner good, so deeply concealed that one may think it isn’t there. The snake recalls the beginning of evil, as the serpent coaxed Adam and Eve to eat in the Garden of Eden.
So Moses instructed Israel to look at the snake to remind them that even the evil they experienced was a hidden form of good, and to turn to Him for salvation.
My friends, the explanation is definitely true as the Torah is true. But I just can’t help but wish that a miracle would have saved our brethren who indeed recognized G-d’s goodness within the evil they experienced.
I know, I know. My ideas of what G-d should do don't bind Him to follow my bidding. He has His plan and I am simply not privy to it. Let's just pray and ask Him to grant us only revealed good that requires no special insights or introspection.
May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States, guard our brethren the world over from harm, and send us Moshiach speedily. L'Chaim!
Rabbi Gordon directs the CHABAD ON CAMPUS
INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION www.chabad.edu