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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Making Sense out of Senselessness
By Rabbi Yonason Goldson
A silver lining emerges from a dark cloud of tragedy
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Why do the righteous suffer?
The question is not new. In fact, it was asked of the Almighty by Moses as he witnessed the torment of his people under the hand of Pharaoh. Even earlier, it was posed by Abraham when he demanded, "Shall the Judge of all the earth not perform justice?"
We ask the question ourselves when we hear reports of natural disasters, of random violence, of inexplicable accidents. Among the more recent examples was the untimely death of actress Natasha Richardson. A few hours after a seemingly inconsequential tumble on a beginner's ski slope, the 45-year-old actress, wife, and mother began complaining of a headache. Days later, she was dead.
By all accounts, Ms. Richardson was a talented performer, a loyal wife, and a devoted mother. She seems to have eschewed the glitz and superficiality of Hollywood for a quieter, albeit critically acclaimed, career.
Although Natasha Richardson was not a household name, the public responded to her death with unusual passion. Her youth, her reputation, and her modest demeanor in a field known for crass sensationalism, all combined with the bizarre circumstances of her death to make her story uniquely tragic in the eyes of millions. Why should the world lose so fine a person through such a senseless accident?
That question, however, is not being asked by the family of Morgan McCraken of Mentor, Ohio. After failing to dodge a line drive in a backyard baseball game, the seven-year-old girl seemed to recover quickly from the lump on her left temple. She returned to school the next day and aced a spelling test.
But two days after the incident Morgan began complaining of a headache. With the headlines about Natasha Richardson still fresh in their memories, Morgan's parents rushed their daughter to the emergency room. Doctors immediately ordered a helicopter to take Morgan to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, where a pediatric neurologist treated her for epidural hematoma — the same injury suffered by Natasha Richardson. Had they delayed, said Morgan's doctor, the girl would never have woken up again.
Because Ms. Richardson died, Morgan McCraken survived.
It is not for us to compare the value of one life to another. But imagine if little Morgan grew up to discover a cure for cancer, or to develop a solution to world hunger, or to negotiate a lasting peace to any of mankind's ceaseless wars. Imagine if she became a teacher who shaped hundreds of lives who would in turn bring warmth and stability to their communities. Imagine if her children or grandchildren changed the world in some yet unimaginable way. Who knows what accomplishments lie waiting in the potential of a seven-year-old child?
Before the death of Moses on the far side of the Jordan River, the Almighty revealed to him that there would be times when He would "hide His face," times of spiritual darkness when the apparent dominion of evil would convince many in the world that G-d had forsaken mankind. In those days, the loss of hope would drive the Jewish people to the brink of despair, leaving them no recourse but to trust in a justice that defies logic and in an order contradicted by chaos. But where is genuine trust except where all reason has failed? And where is true hope except when we stare into the depths of hopelessness?
Hope is not a cliche or a campaign slogan — it is a way of life that acquires meaning when we begin to understand that the panorama of history is too vast for us to fathom. Only then can we aspire to the genuine trust in the Master Architect who fashioned the world and guides its progress.
Until all is revealed to us in at the End of Days, we cannot expect to know why the righteous suffer, why good and innocent people perish in pogroms and crusades and inquisitions and holocausts. But we can understand that suffering leads to renewal as surely as night precedes the dawn. As we trust in the coming of each new day, so too can we learn to trust in divine wisdom and divine justice even as we endure the inevitable moments of spiritual darkness.
And nowhere can we discover that trust more poignantly than in the smile of every child in whose hands the future resides.
JewishWorldReview.com regularly publishes uplifting articles. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.JWR contributor Rabbi Yonason Goldson teaches at Block Yeshiva High School in St. Louis, MO, where he also writes and lectures. Visit him at http://torahideals.wordpress.com .
© 2009, Rabbi Yonason Goldson
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