Comments on: Is Pat Robertson right? Did G-d punish Sharon?

By: Menachem Lipkin

Menachem Lipkin — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 21:58:11 +0000

Ariel Sharon is obese and 78 years old. One need look no further than that to understand why he was “struck down”. Nobody alive today knows the “mind” of God and to claim that one does is nothing short of heresy. We don’t know the reason for Katrina, or the Indian earthquake, or Sharon’s illness. When bad things happen we are told to introspect and look at our midos and imperfections, but we have no business blaming these things on others. Ariel Sharon has a treasure chest of Z’chuyot that many “frum” Jews can only envy. We have no way of knowing if even the disengagement was “wrong” in God’s eyes or part of His plan. Maybe God was “annoyed” at us for settling Gaza with only 8000 Jews after 38 years! That’s pretty pathetic by any measure. Who knows? I don’t, you don’t, and Pat Robertson doesn’t.

By: Modester Magaragoma

Modester Magaragoma — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:16:03 +0000

I do not agree with Pat Robertson. If Hashem had not wanted Ariel Sharon to devide Gaza He would have struck him down before it happened. Otherwise whats the point of striking him after the deed if it was against His will. Hashem does not play games with His people – His will comes first. If we are going to agree with Pat Robertson what we are actually saying is that Hashem was powerless to stop Ariel Sharon from doing that which He was against. With Hashem everything happens for a (good)reason.

By: Yehoshua Friedman

Yehoshua Friedman — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 15:25:24 +0000

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg has made a very perceptive statement. We know that G-d cares about human affairs and is Master of history. We do not necessarily know how to interpret either current events or past prophecies in terms of what actions G-d specifically wants. However He makes His will happen, whether we like it or not, whether we know it or not. The other point which is rather striking in these days is that a medium like this blog, expressing Jewish thought on contemporary matters, is being read by non-Jews as well. The time will come when, as the prophets have written, Israel and many non-Jews will join together to do Hashem’s will.

By: R.MILLER

R.MILLER — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 04:56:37 +0000

Malachi was the last Prophet, not Zecharia.

By: Jo Nell Pegues

Jo Nell Pegues — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 07:06:36 +0000

We can sum up all the rhetoric by a quote from the Holy Bible, God talking to Abraham, “Leave your country(Ur of the Chaldees), your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will BLESS those who BLESS you, and whoerver CURSES you I will CURSE; and all peoples on earth wil be blessed through you.” Gods’ word is true-much more solid than mans’ opinion!!

By: Nancy Baumann

Nancy Baumann — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 04:27:10 +0000

In Tanakh Elohim promises His word will NOT return void but will accomplish all He intends for it to accomplish. History has born with painful memory the past prophecies as true with future ones yet to come. Why is it hard for the people out there to understand this? Any serious believer in the Biblical scriptures finds it hard for those not familiar, or unable to ascent to this perspective as anything but not yet awakened from their slumber which I fear is soon to be time to wake up to reverie!! Why are we even discussing this as other more weighty matters seem to be pressing into us daily. Can a good tree bring forth bad fruit? Can a bad tree bring forth good fruit? A stroke has disabled the noble leader of Israel that , if left to his own pressures and outside influences, would have done more “giving away”…HaShem, the compassionate one, has in His mercy allowed no more evil to be done via this once strong man who was pressured beyond our understanding in behalf of his people whom I am convinced he loved dearly. May we all have mercy on his behalf and come to the place where no matter what we can say we too have failed but a righteous man may fall seven times but he will get up again…..

By: Steve Brizel

Steve Brizel — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:15:28 +0000

Wonderful and important column. Too many of us , regardless of hashkafic label, tend to indulge in theodic-based comments about which Chazal had a pithy and very sharp statement about those who purport to speak in prophetic terminology.

By: Jerel Bartlett

Jerel Bartlett — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:37:05 +0000

The prophets may have ended 2500 years ago, but the prophecy lives on. Pat Robertson’s utilizing of the prophecy is harsh to say that Sharon was struck down. Whether he was or was not matters not. The harsh reality is Israel is crumbling apart. What area is to be given away next?… Galilee and Samaria for starters. In 12 months…..West Bank, Gaza, Galilee, Samaria. At this rate, Israel will be gone in a few years. This is the prophecy !!! Wake up a smell the roses. Get your heads out of the sand !!! But you will not. This is the prophecy Pat Robertson is quoting !!! Read the Bible yourself. Pat did.

By: Peter S.

Peter S. — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 10:42:25 +0000

I trust in G-D , in my mind Ariel Sharon sinned , his arrogance , the cries of the victims
from Gush , have been heard . As for judging whether Ariel Sharon is paying the price for his sins , I cannot say . But I know that HaShem looks after Israel , is not the building on Temple Mount an abomination .

By: James Sprunger

James Sprunger — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 05:50:28 +0000

I would sadden me to think that G-d no longer spoke to His people.
The author of the article seems to reject that possibility. Of course
Dr. Robertson was not prophesying when he spoke of the Prime Minister.
He had in fact been encouraging prayer for him. His reference to the land
was based upon Joel 3. G-d will enter into judgment over His people-and over
His land. I am not saying G-d punished Mr. Sharon, but the scriptural
possibility should cause the leaders of the nation of Israel to reflect.
I will pray that G-d does grant wisdom to all those in authority especially with
the Hamas victory in the Paletinian elections.

By: e. ross

e. ross — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 04:51:16 +0000

I was always taught to believe that HaShem treats us “mida k’neged mida”.

Sharon’s greatest sin was the arogance of believing that he will live to be a hundred, that he is the one who decides what is right, and of course not believing that even HaShem has power over him.

The power of the cries of the Gush expelees cried to HaShem to judge. He did, and Sharon must somewhere in his comotose soul, now know that he sinned on all counts.

By: Harry Maryles

Harry Maryles — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 17:58:45 +0000

Excellent editorial by Rabbi Hillel Goldberg. The problem is not with Pat Robinson. It is within us. It is the Pulsa Denura people; it is the type of rhetoric uttered by certain RW Religious zioinst rabbis that inspire the Yigal Amirs of the world. For more, see my blog Emes Ve-Emunah at:

http:// haemtza.blogspot.com/

By: Sago Boulevard

Sago Boulevard — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 02:27:28 +0000

A Brand Plucked From the Fire…

Plenty has been written about Pat Robertson’s suggestion that “Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s stroke was divine retribution for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.” Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, guest posting at Cross-Currents, s…