Why did Sandy Happen? The Definitive Answer, by @BerelShain

A guest post by our crack #Sandy correspondent @BerelShain

“A man is angry at a libel because it is false, but at a satire because it is true.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Hurricane Sandy was an unprecedented event in the NY/NJ area. While we have seen hurricanes in the past, the death and destruction caused by this perfect storm of wind, rain and the highest of tides crippled our area and ruined life, liberty and property to an extent we have never before seen. As human beings, our need for reason is deeply engrained and theories were not long in coming. I too felt a need to understand the deeper message behind this epic storm and am convinced that I have reached the truth after a journey through folly. Below is my voyage.

In reaching the unqualified truth, I began by outlining what appeared to be the obvious criteria: this massive storm in the heart of New York and New Jersey was unprecedented. It therefore must have been caused by something that (a) was unique to New York and New Jersey and (b) was itself unprecedented.

Metzitza B’Pheh – The first cause that jumped out at me was Metzitza b’Pheh. A few weeks ago, a group of organizations led by Satmar and Agudah filed a lawsuit to prevent educating the masses about the risks of MBP as understood by the overwhelming consensus of the medical community. Certainly action by frum organizations to insist that Jewish children be exposed to serious harm and their parents not be informed about those dangers was unprecedented. If anything would raise the divine ire it would be this. That Agudah’s offices are in the area of Manhattan worst hit by the storm and their office closed for an entire week could not be coincidence.

Further consideration, however, made me realize this could not be it, for two reasons. First, action (and inaction) to allow exposure of children to continued harm is not unprecedented in our community. Agudah has been at the forefront of standing as a roadblock between parents of abused children and law enforcement for many years. What’s more, the actions of New York City were only spawned by the inaction of the frum community to what may well be a serious risk of death or injury. Protecting suspected dangerous mohelim was merely an outgrowth of protecting suspected child molesters. The actions by Satmar and Agudah to protect the interests of those seeking to harm (or even kill) children were not unprecedented at all. Furthermore, the law challenged in court was exclusively a New York law. Clearly, the criteria were not met.

Gay Marriage – The next cause I considered was gay marriage, not because I thought of it but because clergy from across the religious spectrum including both Christian and Jewish prophets and of course the most vile slug of them all Yehuda Levin, all saw an obvious link. But I quickly dismissed that theory because it too does not meet the criteria. For starters, gay marriage has been recognized as legal and legitimate since 2004 in Massachusetts, in Iowa and Vermont since 2009 and in New Hampshire since 2010. New York was the last of the six states that currently recognize gay marriage to do so, not the first. Furthermore, it is not legal in New Jersey. If Hurricane Sandy was God’s fury at gay marriage, shouldn’t it have visited Massachusetts eight years ago? It doesn’t seem fair that the sixth state to recognize gay marriage should incur the wrath of God together with another state whose legislative branch has twice disallowed it. Oh, and of course – when was the last time a hurricane hit San Francisco?

The Answer: The Internet Asifa –  Careful and deliberate examination of the evidence and recent history lead me to the one true and inescapable conclusion: Hurricane Sandy was Hashem’s furious reaction to the horrifyingly embarrassing Internet asifa at Citifield. As you may recall, a massive gathering was spearheaded by the mashgiach of Lakewood (New Jersey) and the Skulener Rebbe (New York) to address the evils of web access. More than 50,000 Jews were forced against their collective wills by guilt or rabbinic fiat to leave their homes and attend this gathering (midda k’negged middah!). What they heard was five hours of fire breathing speeches about the dangers of access to information, social networking and technology at large, sprinkled with smatterings of hate aimed at other orthodox Jews who did not fit the fashion and philosophical mold of those in attendance. Hashem must have been embarrassed by this awful spectacle, just as many of the gedolim (who declined to attend) were. And so, He in his infinite wisdom and mercy sent us a message that is loud and clear: The Internet is essential and indispensable!

• Web access is essential: Hurricane Sandy taught us in mere hours that the Internet is not simply a tool for accessing photos of uncovered collar bones and articles about evolution; it is a crucial and indispensable instrument for accessing crucial information. The Internet was the gateway to the world during those terrible hours – especially for those who lost their power and had no radios. Information about evacuations, storm progress and the like were all most easily accessible online. If anyone doubted the irreversible and integral role that the web plays in our society, Sandy blew that all away.
  
• Social media is not all evil: Twitter and Facebook were critical during Sandy. They were lifelines for many with no other form of communication and a treasure chest of information for all. They also served as a means of gathering aid and assistance for others and acted as tools for unimaginable chessed. For example, in one case @AskanDotOrgtweeted a link to www.lakewoodsandy.com, a website where lists of Lakewood families willing to absorb Sandy victims for Shabbos was posted. An emergency clothing drive was kicked off on twitter by @ChaskelBennett, word quickly spread through Facebook and email and the drive was a great success.
  
• Text messaging: Text messaging was an essential means of communication for many during the storm. For reasons I could not understand, at times during the storm my only way of communicating was through WhatsApp. My phone, email and SMS were down but those messages went through. I therefore used WhatsApp to reassure my parents and extended family that my own family and my elderly grandfather in Flatbush were safe despite the loss of power in our area and communicated with friends and neighbors by that means as well.

In case there remained small pockets of doubt, Sandy told our world that the Internet must not be battled but embraced. The Internet is a lifesaving tool, a hub of crucial information in times of need and a gift from above that dare not be reviled. People searching for loved ones, information about power, updates on mass transit and information about their own and other communities availed themselves of the blessing known as the Internet. One of my twitter followers who signed off of twitter after the asifa signed back on just to receive updates about the storm. Sandy taught the world that the asifa organizers have it wrong: the Internet is crucial in all aspects of life, not a luxury just for businessmen.

Sandy was an unprecedented act of God in response to an unprecedented act of man. Never before had so many Jews gathered just to protest the Internet. In response to that, the two states that spawned this unfortunate spectacle were hammered with unprecedented fury in a means that demonstrated conclusively that the message of this ill-guided gathering was an error of the highest magnitude. The method by which this lesson was conveyed mirrored the methods of the Asifa. In the case of the Asifa, Jews were forced against their wills to leave their homes and go to a place that was alien to many of them. Sandy did the same, forcing people to leave their homes and take refuge in areas and with people that are alien to them as well.

PS – Daas Torah: But there’s more. In case there is any doubt that Sandy was a message to us about the asifa, the events of this past Friday surrounding the NYC Marathon should put those doubts to rest. The Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, is a gadol in business the likes of which we can’t event comprehend. He is worth more than $20 billion (yes – with a “B”) and has achieved wealth and success on a level we can’t relate to. He has also been a good Mayor and did a great job managing Sandy (c.f. Ray Nagin). We New Yorkers chose him as our leader and follow his direction. Despite all that, however, he got this insane idea in his head that the Marathon had to go on against all logic and reason and against the will of the people. Caller after to caller to New York talkshows raged that the rich Bloomberg didn’t understand the common man, failed to appreciate the hurt and anger of the residents of the City at the prospect of this spectacle and that he was merely a sheltered affluent man who “doesn’t get it”. At the end, Bloomberg acquiesced to overwhelming groundswell of negative reaction to his strong-headed decision and cancelled the Marathon.

What better way could there have been to end the week of Sandy then with a divine message about the limits of Daas Torah. Gedolim may be learned beyond our comprehension. Many have attained knowledge in torah that we can only dream of and some are wise and successful leaders of their flocks. But even the greatest minds, the most successful and accomplished people, can fail to “get it” at times. And then, it is the responsibility of the tziburto stand up to the leader, demand a different course of action and not let up until the message is received and implemented. Sometimes our leaders – even great ones – just don’t get it.

The message of Hurricane Sandy is clear. Anyone who refuses to recognize that is denying the obvious Yad Hashem. Let’s hope that we take the message of Sandy to heart; embrace technology in all of its forms and use it as a vehicle for serving the Eibishter; that we learn to follow our leaders when they are right and rebuke them when they aren’t, and in that merit we will never see another event of destruction like we did last week again. Amen.

Or … maybe it’s just global warming.

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