By Rabbi Dovid Sapirman, Dean, Ani Maamin Foundation
We are accustomed to thinking that anyone whose emunah is solid will never do an aveirah. If he knows there is a G-d watching over him, rewarding and punishing human beings according to their deeds, why would he? Who would drive through a red light in front of a police car?
But we will see that this is not the case. When it comes to aveiros, emunah alone does not suffice—we need the determination to do what emunah dictates.
Tanach is replete with stories of people with crystal-clear emunah who nevertheless committed great sins. One example can be found in this week’s haftarah, which is read infrequently, as Ki Sisa usually comes with one of the four special maftirs. In brief, as a response to widespread idolatry in the kingdom of Yisrael, Eliyahu Hanavi decreed that there would be no rain in the coming years, then disappeared. For two and a half years, there was a drought.
Achav, the wicked king of the Ten Tribes, knew very well that this was no coincidence. He sent messengers around the world to search for Eliyahu, but no one knew where he was. The situation was devastating. Animals were dying. There was no water for the people, either. They were desperate.
One day, Eliyahu returned and demanded that Achav gather all the people to Mount Carmel. With no choice but to comply, the entire population convened. There, Eliyahu proposed a test: the prophets of the Baal would sacrifice an ox, while Eliyahu would bring a korban to Hashem. Whichever offering was accepted with fire from heaven would indicate the true god. The test proceeded, and before the eyes of the whole kingdom, fire descended upon Eliyahu’s mizbeiach, burning his korban. The people bowed and cried out “Hashem hu haElokim, Hashem is the true G-d!”
After such a miraculous event, one would think that all of the people would have immediately done teshuvah. But Achav did not change one iota, and neither did his subjects. Hashem waited for them, offering many second chances, but eventually the Tribes were attacked, slaughtered, and sent into galus.
Such is human nature—we are resistant to change, even when the necessity is obvious. Emunah is a powerful tool, but only helps those who are willing to live according to what they believe and know to be true.
