Home Home / Catastrophics (2002)

Outline

September 10, 2002

Catastrophics (2002)

Theodicy
View The Text

This content is currently available in its original PDF format. As we expand the library, we plan to add a text version as well.

RELATED CONTENT

Speech

The Stormy Wind as the Word of God: Afterthoughts on the Recent New England Hurricanes (1954)

The recent hurricanes, which swept through New England left in their wake more than twisted tree-trunks, flooded homes, changed landscapes and human carnage. They also left behind a residue of doubt and perplexity and fear in the hearts and souls of millions of Americans, and particularly those of our state. They jarred us, frightened us, appalled us. The lashing gales and violent winds and furious storms set us thinking and wondering.Primarily the question that was asked was of a religious nature, and it came from religious-minded people, and it was largely addressed to relgious teachers. The question was: if , "the stormy wind fulfills His word”, as David put it, then why did G-d do this? Thy did G-d unleash such fury against us? Aby this sudden eruption of peaceful, calm and tranquil nature into a diastrophic and brutal storm? Such senseless destruction cannot possibly have meaning. Does it therefore follow that this world of ours Qa-A is a purposeless and meaningless place, that senseless evil and cruelty predominate in A life?It is a hard question, but it is a fair one. ־That kind of answer can students of Torah give? We categorically reject the contention that this proves the predominance of evil. When the Arab philosopher Al Razi came to that conclusion, Maimonides (Guide, Part HI, Chapter 12) referred to him in most unflattering terms. He called his ideas "mad" and ״foolish". It is G-d’3 world, and hence an essentially good one. And perhaps we should think of the very infrequency and rarity of such hurricanes, and conclude that the comparative frequency of clement weather proves that Good is the Rule and Evil the exception.But as for the basic question of "Why?", no one can give a really complete and satisfyin answer. Just as scientists have not completely fathomed the physical causes and properties gales, hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes, so are we incapable of completely understanding their spiritual implications. The weatherman, with all his expensive …
Theodicy

Article

Twin Reactions to the Twin Towers Tragedy (2002)

The enormity of the depraved atrocity that was perpetrated has not yet been fully assimilated, especially by those of us who lived here – so close to the scene of the crime. Yet a number of students felt that before the effects wear off, we ought to think about remembering – how shall we recall what happened and why. We should not underestimate the importance of remembering. The philosopher George Santayana once famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Apparently, everyone agrees that it is important to remember. The question is: what do we remember, whom do we remember, and how do we remember? Let me therefore begin by putting this event into some kind of perspective. There have been many catastrophes in history, both man-made and natural. We shall concentrate on the man-made disasters in my lifetime, and those which undoubtedly will continue in your lifetime. This list of horrors includes the gulag of Stalin, where millions of people perished; the experiment of the Communist regime in China — when millions of people perished; the Khmer Rouge, World War 11, Cambodia.... One can give a whole list of catastrophes invented by human minds — depraved human minds, but human minds nonetheless. And then, of course, there was the Shoah, the Holocaust. If you want to understand the impact of the Holocaust on the Jewish people and thereafter for the world, remember that we lost one third of our population. We started World War II with a world Jewish population of eighteen million; after the Shoah, we were reduced to twelve million. Now make the following very simple mathematical calculation: what would have happened if the World Trade Center catastrophe had been expanded to one third of the American people? We would have lost over eighty-two million people! And nevertheless, despite all that, the impact of what happened exactly one year ago today — even without our calculation — was enormous. Someone put it correctly: it exposed our vul…
Rosh Hashanah Theodicy

Article

Why Should the Nations Say, Where Is Their God? (2004)

Q of suffering – צדיק ורע לו וכו׳ = single most trenchant Q f any theistic religion – Samuel, David, & in a way Abr (השופט כל הארץ...). Prophet Joel (2:17) – למה יאמרו בעמים איה אלקיהם. Same Q askd immedtly upon Twin Towers (Televangelists – inane ans!). Yet greatest such Q not in ancient days not Twin Towers – but HOLT! Coincidence: Sept 11 = כ״ג אלול – liquid’n Vilna Ghetto. Also: universal – if catastrophe – all victims = צלם אלקים. Of 6000 langs tod, most universal: Tears... So: compliment SCW women who שומרות f all victims. So, how ans Joel’s Q?? 2 levels: philo / existential. Philo-Theol: (1) Privative. בעש״ט ... BUT: > Holt, nt good enough ans. (2) More acceptable (Augustine): argument from freedom... But – all theodicies – bloodless, abstract, overly rational... existential (1): David: מדוע / למה ... א-לי א-לי למה עזבתני... (Broad level: learn terrorsm infectious – spreads...; also: no moral postur’g as targeted killing...) Personal Level: Learn to cherish lf – pos’y / neg’y: Neg’v: perspective – no complain trivialities, minor frustrations; Don’t blame Gd – may be f your good! Lemberg; footprints beach... Pos’y: mk lf > mnngful – as: apprectg parnts / tchrs / siblings / studnts / strangers; Daven w mr כוונה; learn Tor w mr zest; גמ״ח even w parents... Disaster call f Teshuva: רמב״ם – כל הנביאים לא נתנבאו אלא לתשובה (So, Bratzlav: Gd calls on all of us ~ nature; some w shout / whisper; depends how close we are to Him), (f both: * Do some’g – מה תצעק אלי; * unity –> Cvl War USA are –> is). (2) Most impt! – JOB Read: 38:1–7. 19–23; 40:1–8; 42:1–8. רמב״ם בסה״מ מ״ע להתפלל בכל יום שנא׳ ולעבדו – זו תפילה. משמע״ מז״א רמב״ן = – מד׳ר. והפסוק "ולעבדו" – לגבי עת צרה, כמ״ש "וכי תבוא מלחמה בארצכם על הצר הצורר אתכם והרעותם בחצוצרות..." וזה מצוה על כל צרה שתבוא על הציבור וא״כ קשה על הרמב״ם שבפסוק זה משמע שתפילה מד׳א רק בעת צרה? מר׳ר זצ״ל – הרמב״ם ס״ל שכל החיים הם במשבר קיומי...
Theodicy