Q&A: Blessings and Nature
Blessings and Nature
Question
I saw in the Rabbi’s lectures that the Rabbi holds that the verses of promises and punishments in the Torah apply to earlier generations. Let’s say I accept that indeed all the blessings in the Torah were only for those generations because of their righteousness, does the Rabbi think that in those generations natural evil also existed? For example, suppose that then there was a righteous generation in which all the blessings in the Torah were fulfilled, does the Rabbi think that God would have spared them natural events that are supposed to happen such as a tsunami, earthquakes etc. or would nature have done its thing despite the blessings that were “resting” upon the people? Let me sharpen the question: do the blessings written in the Torah include divine intervention to prevent natural evil?
Answer
What does that have to do with their righteousness? They were not more righteous than we are. The explanation I suggested is different.
What is the difference between bringing rain and preventing drought? That does not mean there was no natural evil at all. But apparently there was more involvement.
Discussion on Answer
I answered.
I didn’t understand the Rabbi. I’ll try another way: after all, the blessings in the Torah are conditional on their keeping Torah and commandments… and suppose they do in fact keep Torah and commandments and the blessings in the Torah are realized for them — was there still natural evil then, or do the Torah’s blessings also prevent natural evil?