A confession:
Though I have nothing but disdain for those who think Sharon's stroke was a punishment for Gaza, I understand the lure of superstitious thinking, and often I find myself flirting with it. But my superstitious thinking about Ariel Sharon takes a different form:
Israel finds itself in a mess today because for 30 years they stomped on Arab civillians. And when the chief stomper (Sharon) has, by the goodness and grace of God, a change of heart and realizes that separation not slaughter is the answer, the religious response should not be to scream "traitor" but to instead embrace the miracle of his teshuva.
We see the "hand of God" wherever it's most convinient for us. I understand that as well as anyone. Still, it must be noted that those of us who favor separation have as much of a claim on magical thinking as those of you who favor expullsion, or the continued policy of apartheid and colonization.