“Shortly after creation, God told Adam to multiply and to conquer His world. Indeed, He has given us the keys to understanding His universe and with each scientific, medical or technological breakthrough, we come closer to conquering it. But, there are three keys that God kept on His keyring and refused to share with us. “Rebbe Yochanan said: Three keys the Holy One blessed be retained in His own hands and Has not entrusted to the hand of any messenger, namely, the Key of Rain, the Key of Childbirth, and the Key of the Revival of the Dead” (Ta’anis 2a). In truth, the three exceptions are really one. God has held onto the ability to provide, sustain and resurrect life.
This insight of our rabbis nearly two thousand years ago stands out as profoundly true today. With all that we can master, manipulate and control, the weather remains an enigma and a mystery. We identify that a catastrophic storm has formed, but not only do we lack the capacity to dissolve, disrupt or redirect it, we cannot even predict where it will go with any true sense of accuracy or precision.
There is a whole lot we can and should do to prepare for the storm – buy batteries, water, flashlights, take in outdoor furniture, put up shutters – but we are powerless from directly influencing the storm. The meteorologists and media can talk about the storm, but they cannot impact it. Nobody can, not scientists, not the Army or Air Force, not even great kabbalists. The key to the strength and trajectory of hurricane Irma belongs exclusively to the Almighty and nobody else.”
Nice quote from Rabbi Efrem Goldberg of Boca Raton Synagogue, September 7, 2017, after Hurricane Harvey caused much destruction in Houston, and Irma was on its way to Florida. http://rabbisblog.brsonline.org/cone-uncertainty-always-pray-like/
“Shortly after creation, God told Adam to multiply and to conquer His world. Indeed, He has given us the keys to understanding His universe and with each scientific, medical or technological breakthrough, we come closer to conquering it. But, there are three keys that God kept on His keyring and refused to share with us. “Rebbe Yochanan said: Three keys the Holy One blessed be retained in His own hands and Has not entrusted to the hand of any messenger, namely, the Key of Rain, the Key of Childbirth, and the Key of the Revival of the Dead” (Ta’anis 2a). In truth, the three exceptions are really one. God has held onto the ability to provide, sustain and resurrect life.
This insight of our rabbis nearly two thousand years ago stands out as profoundly true today. With all that we can master, manipulate and control, the weather remains an enigma and a mystery. We identify that a catastrophic storm has formed, but not only do we lack the capacity to dissolve, disrupt or redirect it, we cannot even predict where it will go with any true sense of accuracy or precision.
There is a whole lot we can and should do to prepare for the storm – buy batteries, water, flashlights, take in outdoor furniture, put up shutters – but we are powerless from directly influencing the storm. The meteorologists and media can talk about the storm, but they cannot impact it. Nobody can, not scientists, not the Army or Air Force, not even great kabbalists. The key to the strength and trajectory of hurricane Irma belongs exclusively to the Almighty and nobody else.”