Successful davening and learning in these turbulent times require us to think only about the immediate task at hand
Klal Yisrael is still reeling from the devastation and horror we witnessed on Shemini Atzeres. We were dealt a withering blow, and as we gird ourselves to confront the evil arrayed against us, we beg Hashem to show us mercy.
And as we weep for the dead, the captives, and the wounded, we ask ourselves some painful questions. Why did this happen? What does Hashem want from us? The confusion these questions arouse compounds our feelings of shock.
The first question — why this happened — isn’t the right question to ask. Hashem is constantly guiding the world toward its purpose, and every event in history plays a role in bringing that to fruition. Undoubtedly, the catastrophe that befell Klal Yisrael on Shemini Atzeres has tremendous significance in Hashem’s plan. If we understood the overall scheme, everything would make perfect sense to us.
But in the absence of nevuah, we can’t begin to grasp even an inkling of Hashem’s plan and how this calamity advances it. We are not meant to contemplate this at all, just to know with firm emunah that everything that happens is for the ultimate good.
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