Our belief in G-d

The crushing news from Haiti this week has left many of us stunned. With the death toll reaching into the thousands and an additional three million people affected, the scale of the relief effort will be colossal. About a third of the island’s GNP is foreign aide. It's had its share of disease, war, hurricanes and now, earthquake. Our thoughts & prayers are with the victims and all their families.

We have no idea why this tragedy happened. We know that G-d rules over the entire world. Our first question is “Why, G-d? For what purpose must so much suffering be inflicted upon us? Why, why, why?” Yet despite our lack of answers, we continue to steadfastly believe…

In this weeks Torah portion the Jewish people are called “ma’aminim b’nei ma’aminim” – believers the sons of believers… In fact in the merit of the Jewish people’s belief in G-d they were able to leave Egypt.

The Talmud relates a story about Rabbi Akiva on one of his travels. He reached a town at dusk, and finding no local inn, he approached the first house hoping to be welcomed for the night. Alas, hospitality was refused him. After several similar attempts yielded the same results, Rabbi Akiva, forever optimistic, declared, “Gam Zu Le’Tova - Everything Hashem does is for the good”. And with that, he headed into the forest on the outskirts of town, intending to rest there for the night.

Three items the great sage would always pack with him when he travelled: a donkey to carry his parcels, a rooster to wake him at dawn, and a lamp by whose light he could study late into the night. As Rabbi Akiva made his way through the thicket, a lion suddenly pounced on his donkey and devoured it. Shortly after, his rooster was attacked and killed by a fox. And to top it all off, a gusty wind abruptly extinguished his candle. While the average traveller would likely feel very disheartened following three such episodes, not so Rabbi Akiva. Once again he adamantly declared, “Gam Zu Le’Tova - Everything Hashem does is for the good”. And with that, he fell asleep.

Upon awakening, Rabbi Akiva discovered just how agreeable his seemingly hopeless situation had been. He was astonished to learn that the village he had visited the evening before was in shambles. During the night a Roman legion had attacked the town and taken all its inhabitants captive. Had his donkey or rooster been alive, their braying and crowing would have attracted the attention of the attackers, as would the light of the lamp. And how fortunate was he for not being invited into anyone’s home, for then he too would have suffered the terrible fate of the helpless villagers!

A few months ago, a woman called me and tearfully described her father’s dire medical situation, wondering what she should do. I replied that I would pray for him, and suggested that perhaps she take on a mitzvah or two in whose merit her father would recover. She dejectedly told me that she had not called to ask how to ensure a recovery, but rather how to go about arranging his final hours as well as the funeral.

I informed her of our sages’ wise counsel that even if one has reached the point where a sword is pressed to his neck, he should not lose hope and always trust that G-d will redeem him from his plight. She thanked me very much and hung up.

The story moved to the back of my mind until last week when I received a donation from this same woman. I called her to thank her and inquired after her father. She excitedly told me that the doctors had misdiagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease and were therefore treating him for it. The medication was killing him. As soon as they discovered their error, they ceased giving him the medication and he recovered fully!

Long before Rhonda Byrne’s 2006 best-seller “The Secret” bewitched the world, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, made a declaration that has now become an old Yiddish favorite, “Tracht gut- vet zayn gut! Think good, and it’ll be good!”  One’s thoughts have a tremendous impact on situations and greatly affect their outcomes.

We all have our share of troubles. Many of our friends here in the Upper East Side struggle on a daily basis. No matter how desperate the situation seems, whether it’s a couple struggling to have kids, or a business in the decline or a constant battle seeking a suitable spouse, a person’s thought process, together with his firm belief in G-d, can literally generate positive results.

I was able to personally experience the depth of a Jew’s belief this week when I attended a gathering marking the 30th day since the death of our friends’ three year old daughter. The little girl had passed away just nine months after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. The grieving mother addressed those present and described her unwavering faith in G-d despite her loss. I was utterly dumbstruck and moved to the point of tears when she pronounced, “Thank you G-d for allowing me to be the mother of my daughter for three years…”

Rabbi Akiva was fortunate enough to see the good that came out of the bad. For the rest of us we await the coming of Moshiach to see the revealed good in every situation. In the meantime Think Positively! 

My thanks to Efrat Schochet for her editorial assistance.