Miracles in Gush Katif
Belief in miracles bringing redemption is a cause for distress
Secular Jews are convinced logic governs their lives, and are amazed by the thousands of Gush Katif residents’ denial of the disengagement.
It’s true that some are misguided by desires devoid of chance and are often comforted by them, but Gush Katif settlers and their envious supporters are not only hoping for a miracle, they are convinced one will happen.
This devotion to a miracle bringing redemption is cause for great distress, as these devotees are not making the necessary preparations to ease the task of evacuation, and are making it difficult for the authorities required to assist them.
Time passes, the school year starts, tensions rise, the miracle is delayed and they say: This miracle will happen!
Low probability
The language of logical thinking is silenced by believers, who conduct conversations with non-believers with shining eyes and a forgiving smile, as if talking to those poor souls who never had the benefit of a Jewish education.
It is not a disagreement between people who may find compromise between opposing interests, but rather an attempt to create dialogue between people worlds apart.
One exists according to the laws of nature, while the other is controlled by God, who exists outside of nature but is involved in all that happens within it.
To the secular man, “miracle” is nothing but an incident where the probability of it occurring is extremely low.
However, the believer thinks otherwise. He knows that pure existence is a miracle, and within this large miracle, other exceptional miracles exist.
God performs miracles so the Jewish nation can recognize His existence and strength. But there are also times Jews a called upon to believe in Him without any proof of his presence.
Hidden miracles
With secularism on the rise, religious followers need to be assisted by their own probability theory – a theory devoid of any mathematical logic, but referred to in layman’s terms as “scientific” and “historical.”
Was our victory in the Six-Day War not a miracle, ask the religious? And what about the small number of injured from the thousands of rockets fired on Gush Katif, was that not also a miracle?
Some secular believe in miracles when faced with exceptional historical events. Even (arch-secularist) David Ben-Gurion once admitted, “ A Jew that does not believe in miracles is not a realistic person.”
Looking back
The problem with hidden miracles is that it is also hidden with prophecies: Just as we can only know in retrospect whether a prediction is true or not, we also don’t know whether a miracle will come true.
Some say belief in miracles is dependent on its viability to recruit other believers, thus improving its chances of happening. But you will never hear a naïve believers voice this claim..
This demonstrates how easy it is to use psychological manipulation to influence the innocent.
And this it seems, is what is happening among the many disengagement deniers: Either they are naïve, or just propagandists trying to arouse belief.
The first should not complain, but the last will pay the price when the time comes to present themselves to God.
Does God exist? Most secular people would say no. But should He demonstrate His ability to make miracles occur and stop the pullout, we will be forced to rethink the issue.
