“But the son of the slave-woman (Yishmael), as well, I will make into a nation, for he is your offspring.” (21:13)
Judaism says there is a G-d who controls everything; that nothing happens without Him wanting it to happen. Whether we like it or not, the massacre of Simchat Torah was part of His plan. How we can understand that? The beginning and the end of understanding is that Divine reasons are beyond the understanding of humans. That’s the difference between faith and trust, between emuna and bitachon.
You can believe Hashem exists, but how much do you trust Him? Sure, you trust Him when you pray and you get what you want, but real trust is when things don’t go the way you want them to, and you still say, “Hashem I trust You. I don’t understand why You are doing this, but I know and believe that it is for my good and the ultimate good of the world.”
The Jewish People have been subjected to the most savage, cold-blooded and murderous assault since the Second World War. This has shaken us from our complacency. We think that anti-Semitism is under control, that we are living in golden age, the army is invincible. That Saudi Arabia will tame the Arab world. If you look at the history of Jewish People, you will see that much of our exile has been one of being victims, fear and running for our lives. Why were so many Jews jewelers? Because you pack up your wealth in a small packet and run for your life. Why are so many Jews artisans? Because your livelihood doesn’t depend on anything outside yourself, or being an entrepreneur for that matter.
In the Shema, the basic credo of the Jew and our declaration of faith before we leave this world, the second time we say the name of Hashem, one of our thoughts should be that I am prepared to put up with any pain or suffering, or to give my life to sanctify the Name of Hashem. That’s what we are committing to. Perhaps, the most important thing in our lives is the way we leave this life.
