Q:
If it’s so that the terror attacks in Eretz Yisroel are coming because of the chillul Shabbos and rebellion against Hashem in the country why is it that many of those killed are frum people rather than the people who are actually rebelling?
A:
Why are many who were killed frum people?
I must explain something here. It’s a fundamental principle that Hakodosh Boruch Hu conceals His hand. He doesn’t want to show that it’s a neis.
Now suppose only reshaim would be killed; suppose only mechalelei Shabbos and oichlei treifos would be killed. Then everybody would do teshuva. Let’s say that every Jew who walked in the street on Shabbos and lit a cigarette, he would fall dead right away; so nobody would smoke on Shabbos. Even the Puerto Ricans would make teshuva. The Mirrer Yeshiva would be filled with Puerto Ricans.
So Hakodosh Boruch Hu conceals it. In order to leave room for bechira, for free choice, He makes it look camouflaged; so you shouldn’t see His open hand. And that’s what it says, כיון שניתן רשות למשחית – when a mashchis has power, שוב אינו מבחין בין צדיק לרשע – he makes no distinction between a tzaddik and a rasha.
Like it says in Mitzrayim; when the malach came to destroy the firstborn in Mitzrayim, so Hashem said, אתם לא תצאו איש מפתח ביתו עד בוקר – You shouldn’t walk out in the streets the whole night. Why not? We didn’t do anything wrong! The Egyptians are the ones who oppressed us – why should we be afraid to walk in the streets? The answer is no. Once the mashchis is loose, then he makes no distinction.
And therefore, Hakodosh Boruch Hu doesn’t make any distinctions. People should know that once there’s a tzara, the tzara comes upon the tzaddikim and the reshaim equally – that’s a fundamental principle of how Hashem guides the world in order to leave room for free will; so that His hand shouldn’t be so evident.
TAPE # 942 (November 1993)
