Lead Tidbit
Fiery Furnace Revisited
The Mishna in Pirkei Avot tells us that Avraham Avinu was tested with ten tests of faith, and he withstood them all. Rashi defines withstanding such tests as not challenging G-d's "traits", not becoming a skeptic (nor even entertaining sceptism). Commentaries on the Mishna differ in what is included in the list of Avraham's tests. Rambam states that all ten are specified in the text of the Torah. He then proceeds to emunerate them.

Others, including Bartenura, include events that are only recorded in the Oral Tradition. Let us take as an example, the first test of faith on Bartenura's list - being thrown into the fiery furnace by Nimrod, for preaching belief in One G-d. The fact that Avraham miraculously survived that experience is not relevant to the nature of the test. Being thrown into a fiery furnace is the test; the result in Avraham's case might be viewed as a reward for his faith... or not. Avraham Avinu was by no means the only Jew thrown into a fiery furnace, literally and figuratively, throughout Jewish history. The question is, what does each person think when confronted by a fiery furnace. One will say Sh'ma Yisrael with what he thinks is his dying breath. Another will ask where is G-d or how can G-d allow such a terrible thing. Another will waver between the two options. Whether or not the person survives the experience is not necessarily indicative of his success or failure in the test. In fact, we might even say that a contradictory or puzzling result of an ordeal becomes a test of faith of its own.

What does that mean? Here's the point. With all of the prayers and chessed and justness of the residence of Gush Katif, Aza, and north Shomron yishuvim, how is it possible that the disengagement plan went through? How is it possible that G-d allows Hamas to assign credit for their "victory" to suicide bombers and to Islam. The question itself is not a problem. If one finds G-d or his faith in G-d lacking - that is the problem. That is the failure of the test.

We must have total confidence in G-d that He knows what He is doing. We use our finite human intellect to figure things out as best we can, do what we believe to be the right thing, and hope and pray that G-d will help things along the way we'd like them to go. But to know too, that He sometimes says "no".

We can be disappointed in the behavior of people - how true this has been of late - but not disappointed in G-d. Our lives have their share of fiery furnaces. Let us hope that, with G-d's help - we make the right decisions, and He rewards our efforts.