The Gemara in Berachos (59a) teaches: אמר ר' אלכסנדרי אמר ר' יהושע בן לוי לא נבראו רעמים אלא כדי לפשוט עקמומית שבלב שנאמר והאלוקים עשה שייראו מלפניו – Rabbi Alexandri said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Thunder was created only to impose fear and straighten the crookedness of the heart, as it is stated: “And G-d has so made it, that man should fear before Him” (Koheles 3:14). The entire purpose of creation is so that we fear Hashem. Like it says in the Gemara in Shabbos (31b): אמר רב י הוד ה לא בר א הקדוש ברוך הוא את עולמו אלא כ די שי יראו מלפ ניו ש נאמַר והאלֹקים ע שה שייראו מ לפניו - Rav Yehuda said: Hakodosh Boruch Hu, only created His world so that people would fear before Him, as it is stated: “And G-d has so made it that man should fear before Him” (Koheles 3:14).
We were all created with a straight heart, and deep down we all know that we are constantly living under the shadow of the Ribbono Shel Olam, and that every hour, minute and second of the day we are under His watch, and we all know ein oid milvado, that there is none in charge, besides for Him. However, unfortunately, sometimes the heart curves and turns beyond the straightness with which it was created. Like it says in Koheles (7:29): והאלקים עשה את האדם ישר והמה בקשו חשבנות רבים – “Hashem made man straight, however, man seeks out plans to sin”.
We live in a world where the truth is hidden, and Hashem so to speak hides Himself, and very often it looks like Hashem may be hiding. As a result, people’s hearts get very bent, and they start to think that perhaps there is someone else, and some other power which oversees everything. This leads to people doing things which are against the will of the Ribbono Shel Olam and causes people to stop living their lives in accordance with His will. As a result, Hashem sends thunder to help straighten out people’s hearts, and help return people’s hearts to the way they were created. Hashem arranges things which are against nature, to show everyone, that everything that goes on is up to Him, and that He is ultimately the One in charge.
Thunder that comes together with rain is often not enough, as people are accustomed to this, consequently, Hashem must arrange for a stronger form of thunder to happen. Thunder is just a metaphor for something which Hashem does against the regular nature of the world, and really any form of tragedy that Hashem sends is supposed to act like thunder which is supposed to help straighten people’s hearts.
At a hesped which R’ Moshe Kopshitz gave for R’ Mordechai Dov Yudelevits he related the following mashul [parable]: If a person has a piece of paper which is crumpled and he wants to straighten it, he either folds it over in the opposite direction of the fold or he places it underneath a vessel, and it will straighten itself out. It’s very easy to fix. If a person has a crease in a garment and he wants to straighten it out, it’s a bit harder to fix, and folding over to the other side won’t help, one needs to get an iron and heat it up, and only then can it be straightened out. If a piece of wood gets bent, it’s even harder to fix, and one needs to put in even more effort to fix it. However, when a piece of metal gets bent, it’s extremely difficult to fix, one needs to place it in a hot oven so that it softens, then it must be hit many times with a hammer, and only after a significant amount of work, can it be fixed.
The same thing is with a person’s heart. If the heart is only slightly bent, thunder that comes during a rainstorm is enough to straighten it out. However, if Hashem has to bring thunder in such a tragic way, where over a thousand people were slaughtered on one day, in such a terrible fashion - on Simchas Torah, a day which is Hashem shows His love to Klal Yisroel - and instead men, women and children were tragically killed, there is nothing to say, except that people’s hearts must be extremely bent, to the extent that we needed such drastic thunder to help straighten them.
In the Haftorah which is normally read on Parshas Bereishis we read the pasuk: וישפך עליו חמ ה אפו ו ע זוז מלח מה ותלהט הו מסב יב ולא ידע ותב ע ר ב ו ולא ישים ע ל לב – “Who poured out wrath, Anger, and the fury of war upon them. It blazed upon them all about, but they heeded not; It burned among them, but they gave it no thought.” (Yeshayohu 42:25). Rashi explains, that first Hashem brings tragedies on the nations around us, but if we don’t take a lesson and change our ways, the tragedy will chas vesholam befall the Yidden as well. How much more so, if a tragedy befalls Yidden in Eretz Yisroel, must we be careful to listen to the message and change our ways.
It’s hard to know what Hashem wants from us. The pasuk in Yirmiyah (31:18) writes: יסרתני ואוסר כעגל לא לומד – “You have chastised me, and I am chastised. Like a calf that has not been broken.” Klal Yisroel are compared to a young calf. An ox who has been working for many years, knows that when he is hit, it’s because he isn’t plowing straight. A young calf, however, doesn’t know what is wanted from him when he is hit. Klal Yisroel are compared to a young calf and we don’t know what Hashem wants from us.
However, it’s imperative that we investigate the pasukim and teachings of Chazal and see what they tell us: והאלוקים עשה שייראו מלפניו - “And G-d has so made it, that man should fear before Him” (Koheles 3:14). The main purpose of creation is so that we fear Hashem. Like it says in the pasuk: לא בגבור ת ה סוס יח פץ לא בשוקי האיש ירצ ה רוצה ה׳ את יראיו את המיחלים לח סדו - “He does not prize the strength of horses, nor value the fleetness of men; but Hashem values those who fear Him, those who depend on His faithful care” (Tehillim 147:10-11). Similarly, Dovid HaMelech says:שקר הסוס לתשועה וברוב חילו לא ימלט הנה עיני ד' אל יראיו למיחלים לחסדו להציל ממות נפשם ולהחייותם ברעב - “Horses are a false hope for deliverance; for all their great power they provide no escape. The eye of Hashem is upon those who fear him, who wait for His faithful care to save them from death, to sustain them in famine” (Tehillim 33:17-18).
The words of the Ramban in Parsha Bo are well known. The Ramban writes: The purpose of all the mitzvos, is so that we recognize the Ribbono Shel Olam, and thank Him for creating us, and so that we know that everything that happens is all miracles and that there is no such thing as nature. Even if we know this, we are commanded to do physical actions to remember and strengthen this concept. The reason being, that by doing a positive action, it helps instill into a person in a clearer fashion, that there is no one to rely on, besides for our Father in Heaven. And that our entire existence is miraculous, and we are only able to exist because of the Ribbono Shel Olam.
When Hashem brings upon us such loud crashes of thunder, which has shaken all of us to the core, this automatically helps instill into us yiras Shomayim. Sometimes, there is a feeling deep down in people’s hearts that all the technology used by the IDF has the power to protect us. People start thinking that it is the technology that is keeping us safe, it is the technology that helps us win the war, and it is the technology which deters nations of the world from trying to attack us. Even if one knows that everything is manned by Hashem, deep down in his heart thoughts creep in that Hashem has given over the world to other guardians, and it is these guardians that keep us safe. But, when Hashem brings such thunder and shock, suddenly we see that everything is false and just our imagination and really all the protection and power of the IDF is worthless and the only reason we aren’t constantly being attacked is because of Hashem’s immense mercy. The second Hashem removes his protection from us, the whole world shakes and moves like one who is drunk. Like it says in Tehillim (127:1): אם ה׳ לא ישמר עיר שוא שקד שומר – “If Hashem doesn’t watch over the city, then having a watchman is pointless”. Such thunder and shock help remove the crookedness of the heart, and make the heart straight once again, and help the heart realize, that Hashem alone is the One and Only person in charge of what goes on in the world, and that our entire existence is miraculous.
When a person lives in such a way and feels how he is being watched every moment by the Ribbono Shel Olam, the way he conducts himself is on an entirely different level. Just like when one stands in front of the Ribbono Shel Olam during Neilah on Yom Kippur, he is unable, to see, hear, or even imagine certain acts that he may do during the rest of the year as he knows that he is standing in front of the Ribbono Shel Olam, and his life and death is all in the Ribbono Shel Olam’s hands. Since his life depends on this moment, he conducts himself differently. If the Ribbono Shel Olam felt the need to bring upon us such loud crashes of thunder, it must be that he wants us to increase in our yiras Shomayim, and for us to really realize that He is in charge and no one else, not technology, not the IDF, only the Ribbono Shel Olam.
When a person lives with this wonderful feeling that everything is managed only by the Ribbono Shel Olam, he completes the main purpose of creation, like we mentioned from the Ramban. When a person lives with the Ribbono Shel Olam in such a manner, he is conducting himself the way the Ribbono Shel Olam wants, and fulfilling the main purpose of creation.
Not long ago, on Rosh Hashanah we were mekabel oyl Malchus Shomayim, we accepted the yoke of Hashem upon us, and we mentioned, מלוך על כל העולם כולו בכבודך – “You shall be King over the entire world”. If we accept Hashem as our King than everything will be good, if chas vesholam we don’t, then we will experience the pasuk: ובחמה שפו כה אמלוך ע ליכ ם- “with overflowing fury Hashem will rule over us” (Yechezkel 20:33), and Hashem will have to do things to show that He is in charge.
