Tests of Faith

I am not a regular reader of Shmuley  Boteach's articles, however it was after I read this one: Why Did G-d Allow Seven Jewish Children to Die in a Brooklyn Fire that I was inspired to write my own understanding.

We are told many times that we will be tested before the coming of Moshiach.  We will be tested on many levels.  The tests will become harder and harder, in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. Hashem wants - no, Hashem needs - to know where we stand.

No death is ''accidental'',  no birth is accidental, no marriage is accidental. Every single thing that happens in this world is guided by Hashem's Hand.

The fact that these children died because they came from an observant Jewish home, who kept food warm overnight, by means of a blech,  for the Shabbas meal, can bring people to two different conclusions.  The first obvious conclusion that some people may draw from this is that being orthodox is not necessary, and indeed it is dangerous.... we are putting our lives at risk by observing these ''outdated'' rituals.  Who needs a blech when we have ovens that will heat up at the touch of a finger?  Obviously orthodoxy is a dangerous way to live.  We have proof !

But children can die in many other ways as well...... these children died davka because they were orthodox.  They died for their religion, al Kiddush Hashem.

How many times has G-d stepped in and we have experienced a ''miracle''.  I'm sure you can come up with your own experiences, but I remember being at someone's house for a Shabbos lunch many years ago, it was an extremely hot day summer's day, and the air-conditioning was working well. Suddenly there was the sound of a mini explosion and the air-con died.  One of the guests suggested the host check out the situation and asked where the main controls were situated.  The host, being a baal teshuvah and very serious about Shabbas, refused and said he would call a contractor when Shabbos had ended.  Some of us were pretty concerned, and worried about it for the rest of the day.

As it turned out, the contractor arrived early the next morning, and told them that he couldn't believe the house hadn't burned down, that the electrical wiring had blown and they were bloody lucky as their house could have been destroyed.  He shook his head and got to work.

So yes there are miracles, and yes there are tragedies.  You can't throw your hands up in the air and denounce orthodoxy because a tragedy happened to an orthodox family.  Our faith is being tested. Which path will you choose to follow?  That is what G-d wants to know.

I believe that those children were only meant to live for their respective years.  Three years, five years, seven years..... those souls were perfect souls with only a few years to spend in this world before their final resting place in Gan Eden, where we all aspire to be.

They were all sent to the one family in Brooklyn, to be brought up as orthodox Jews and die al Kiddush Hashem.  Their parents must indeed be incredibly worthy of the job of raising such great neshamas.

The continued suffering of the mother and daughter who are fighting for their lives is of great concern to us all.  We should continue to pray for them....

Please pray for a Refuah Shelema for: Gilsom Gila bat Siporah Frances [Gayle Sassoon] and Siporah bat Gilsom Gila [Siporah Sassoon, daughter of Gayle and Gaby] who survived the fire and are currently in the hospital.  Daily Tehillim