tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post2112070425587212683..comments2024-03-28T15:14:16.180+02:00Comments on Life in Israel: Rav Lefkowitz on The Recent TragediesRafi G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00699851287106903971noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-21948718291037684782011-03-16T10:12:39.946+02:002011-03-16T10:12:39.946+02:00But what I do find myself searching for is the tim...But what I do find myself searching for is the timing of both Japan and Itamar coinciding. Both such different tragedies, both so meaningful to me for different reasons. And both heard about at the same time (I guess there were news reports erev Shabbat about Japan but I missed them?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-62719394632887423222011-03-16T10:10:13.660+02:002011-03-16T10:10:13.660+02:00That doesn't mean we can influence overall tre...That doesn't mean we can influence overall trends in history, only that we control our individual participation.<br /><br />Saying that innocent deaths are meant to "serve" some other group also sounds stupid to me. But saying that the deaths aren't innocent would also be inappropriate - the approach I generally look to is that we don't understand most of what's going on. Free will doesn't explain it either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-23167704809071530382011-03-15T09:17:27.042+02:002011-03-15T09:17:27.042+02:00Really anon? Individual germans had no free will?...Really anon? Individual germans had no free will? What about the ones who did good things? What about the Rabbis/Rosh Yeshivas who told their people to stay/go?<br /><br />Maybe, God "hardened" Hitler's heart or something, but there were millions of instances of free will within the maelstrom.Michael Lipkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11501487897038161582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-56484919904225103642011-03-15T09:05:38.805+02:002011-03-15T09:05:38.805+02:00I'm with Danish on this one- we said right awa...I'm with Danish on this one- we said right away that people will say it's a divine punishment for the terrible treatment of the bochurim in Japan.Definitely the bochurimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-4944668893738695892011-03-15T08:10:42.376+02:002011-03-15T08:10:42.376+02:00For example I'm not sure I would call the Nazi...For example I'm not sure I would call the Nazi Holocaust an expression of anyone's free will.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-48919421083573836492011-03-15T07:24:50.806+02:002011-03-15T07:24:50.806+02:00There's a huge difference between looking arou...There's a huge difference between looking around the world and being inspired to introspect and saying that innocent non-Jews were slaughtered merely to teach us a lesson.<br /><br /><i>For G-d, we're all props on the stage of the world's history.</i><br /><br />Well that certainly flies in the face of the free choice we're supposed to have.Michael Lipkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11501487897038161582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-19292750954582663892011-03-15T05:04:06.834+02:002011-03-15T05:04:06.834+02:00Roughing up rookie smugglers? Cute. But that'...Roughing up rookie smugglers? Cute. But that's about it.<br /><br />I think this idea of looking around the world and being inspired doesn't mean "uh oh G-d is starting with 'them' so I better wake up." It's more like "wow G-d is really powerful, and He's involved in the world - I better take my own actions more seriously."<br /><br />For G-d, we're all props on the stage of the world's history.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-3208893082984247112011-03-15T00:49:53.064+02:002011-03-15T00:49:53.064+02:00Had nobody suggested that it's for putting tho...Had nobody suggested that it's for putting those kids in prison for smuggling the drugs? They shook these kids' world and claimed these kids brought something dangerous by means of the "seas" and therefore had an earthquake and the sea brought forth unimaginable destruction...<br />a bit of a longshot, but is anyone else surprised it hasn't been correlated yet (unless of course it has)Danish Yarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-63378196880687789502011-03-14T23:59:07.147+02:002011-03-14T23:59:07.147+02:00Why would you want to follow a God who would kill ...Why would you want to follow a God who would kill people, be they non-jew or jews, in order to teach people, to make them do teshuva?<br /><br />And teshuva for what? Were the Fogels killed because I don't keep Shabbat? Did thousands of Japanese die because I don't keep kosher? And this Rabbi thinks God wants me to do teshuva? God should do teshuva.www.thewaytonothing.blogspot.comhttp://www.thewaytonothing.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-51949507388800961912011-03-14T22:30:12.788+02:002011-03-14T22:30:12.788+02:00You should learn some Navi after you barf and you ...You should learn some Navi after you barf and you will see the truth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20257999.post-17316965847189926932011-03-14T21:52:39.124+02:002011-03-14T21:52:39.124+02:00regarding the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that...<i>regarding the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that as of right now Hashem is doing chessed with us and is only harming the non-Jews.</i><br /><br />This makes me want to vomit. To me he's being a false prophet trying to tell us what God is "thinking". There are very specific punishments for people who feign prophecy. Not to mention the massive Chilul Hashem such a statement represents.<br /><br />I heard in the name of Rav Avraham Twerski that there is this very unfortunate attitude among some that non-Jews are merely props on the stage of Jewish history. <br /><br />Excuse me while I barf.Michael Lipkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11501487897038161582noreply@blogger.com