7 replies to this topic

[FS613]

L'Chvod Rabbi Shapiro, Shlita:

When there are many disasters all over the world (e.g. earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfires, etc.):

Are these disasters, warnings to Klal Yisroel that C"V it could have happened to them, and that they should do Tishuvah?

Thank you.

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Yes.

רש"י יבמות דף סג/א
בשביל ישראל - ליראם כדי שיחזרו בתשובה

[puzzles]

Didn't the Chofetz Chaim (I think) say that "if there's an earthquake in China, the Jews in Europe [...and America] should tremble" ?

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Yes. And he got that idea from the Gemora (and Rashi) I quoted above. It says any tragedy anywhere in the world is made to shake up the Yidden into doing Teshuva.

[rocksdontfly]

In other words ....... were in huge trouble right? How many gedolim did we lose this year? How many bombs have exploded?
uh oh

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Well it depends on us. We're supposed to do Teshuva so we don't get into trouble.

[AYidOnTheWayUp]

This recent Hurricane storm got me thinking that you see that many frum home were affected by it, are we to understand that these people are being punished for things they did? Or is it a collective punishment on all of Klal Yisroel when even some Yechidim get hit with tzaros and a wake up call to Teshuvah for all of us?

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Any individual who suffers in any way is instructed to do an inventory of his deeds to see if there is something that may result in a punishment.If he finds something, he should attribute the suffering to it and do Teshuva. As the Gemora says: אם רואה אדם שיסורין באין עליו יפשפש במעשיו שנאמר נחפשה דרכינו ונחקורה ונשובה עד ה

If someone narrowly avoided suffering (such as his neighbor's house was flooded but not his), he should express Rachmanus and empathy for his friend's plight, and thank Hashem that he was spared. He should express gratitude towards Hashem for sparing him the suffering in the form of Teshuva and personal improvement. And, yes, he should consider that Hashem is possibly giving him a warning.

If the public suffers, we should all take it as a wake-up call, and see what it is that we are doing wrong. To think otherwise is cruelty and coldness, because it prevents the suffering from stopping. As the Rambam says:

 

רמב"ם יד החזקה הלכות תעניות פרק א

(א) מצות עשה מן התורה לזעוק ולהריע בחצוצרות על כל צרה שתבא על הצבור שנאמר (במדבר י') על הצר הצורר אתכם והרעותם בחצוצרות כלומר כל דבר שייצר לכם כגון בצורת ודבר וארבה וכיוצא בהן זעקו עליהן והריעו:

(ב) ודבר זה מדרכי התשובה הוא שבזמן שתבוא צרה ויזעקו עליה ויריעו ידעו הכל שבגלל מעשיהם הרעים הורע להן ככתוב (ירמיהו ה') עונותיכם הטו וגו' וזה הוא שיגרום להם להסיר הצרה מעליהם:

(ג) אבל אם לא יזעקו ולא יריעו אלא יאמרו דבר זה ממנהג העולם אירע לנו וצרה זו נקרה נקרית הרי זו דרך אכזריות וגורמת להם להדבק במעשיהם הרעים ותוסיף הצרה צרות אחרות הוא שכתוב בתורה (ויקרא כ"ו) והלכתם עמי בקרי והלכתי עמכם בחמת קרי כלומר כשאביא עליכם צרה כדי שתשובו אם תאמרו שהוא קרי אוסיף לכם חמת אותו קרי:

Attributing suffering to natural causes without taking it as a wake-up call is like you seeing someone screaming in pain, and you notice he is sitting on a burning stove. You have an opportunity to tell him to get off the stove, but don't.

Same here. If we can try to identify the cause of our suffering but don't, we are being cruel to those who suffer, because by identifying the cause of the suffering you thereby help the victim alleviate the suffering.

(And of course, the Rambam's logic applies equally to an individual's suffering. But in context, he is explaining the Mitzva of Chatzotzros, which applies only to public suffering.)