More Miracles

In my previous post, I wrote about many miracles of Divine Providence happening vis-a-vis Iran and other countries, in ways that benefit the Jewish people and the world.

I would like to continue this theme, and suggest how numerous geopolitical events are possibly a reflection of the Almighty’s kindness to the world.

Let’s start with China. For years China stole technology from Western countries, and surreptitiously spread tentacles into many countries, taking over critical infrastructure, and gathering data on populations. Also China oppressed many of its own citizens, including Uyghurs, people in Hong Kong, and others, and enroached on the sovereignty of its neighbours in the South China Sea.

Suddenly Covid hit the world, and as China hid critical information, the virus was able to spread quickly, killing many and severely impacting the world economy.

We don’t know why misfortunes happen. The prophet Isaiah (12; 1) says that when the future Redemption arrives, we will say,”I will thank you, Lord, that you showed anger to me.” The question is, why is the future tense used? One answer is, that now we can’t understand why suffering happens, but in the future, we will understand and appreciate it.

Nevertheless, we can sometimes readily see certain beneficial results. One result of Covid is that it served as a wakeup call, and Western powers subsequently united to take major measures aimed at stopping Chinese aggression, thus enhancing the prospect of a safer world.

Which brings us to Canada, where Chinese action now threatens to bring down the government. But first some background.

About seven and a half years ago, the Liberal party, led by Justin Trudeau, won the federal election, and Trudeau became Canada’s prime minister. Among the new laws that were enacted, was legislation allowing euthanasia in certain cases. This, despite the efforts of many Rabbis, activists, and other religious leaders, who tried to persuade politicians to stop the legislation.

In addition to the law per se, a frightening atmosphere of “better to finsh the patient off” permeated many hospital settings.

Periodically the law was expanded to include more people, and recently the government decided that in a year, euthanasia would be allowed for the mentally ill.

Over time, various scandals hit the Liberals, but the Trudeau government managed to survive, and they even won elections four years ago and again two years ago. The opposition Conservative party’s leaders seemed weak and lacked charisma, and they were not able to win enough votes to defeat Trudeau.

Then, about a year ago, the Freedom Convoy, a caravan of truckers who protested against certain Covid restrictions, blockaded Ottawa for a month. Eventually the trucks were removed, but the convoy caused the ejection of the Conservative leader, and a new leader, Pierre Poilievre, was chosen. The Conservatives are now leading in the opinion polls, and Poilievre has spoken strongly and effectively on many issues, including opposing euthanasia for the mentally ill. He criticized the Liberal government, that instead of helping people who are depressed, the government is ending their lives.

So what does China have to do with all this? Because recently, people who work in Canada’s Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), leaked documents which show that China interfered in Canada’s last two federal elections (specifically China was trying to ensure that the Liberals attain a minority government), and that Trudeau seemed to ignore CSIS warnings urging that he needed to deal with the matter. Recent opinion polls show that a high percentage of Canadians are very concerned about this, and a committee of parliament members are urging the government to convene a public inquiry on the matter. So far, Trudeau has refused. Trudeau’s minority government is being supported by the New Democrat Party (NDP), and there’s a good chance that if Trudeau continues to refuse to have a public inquiry, then the NDP may withdraw their support, forcing new elections. Poilievre’s Conservatives seem poised to win an election, which can result in stopping euthanasia for the mentally ill, and possibly stopping (or preventing easy access to) euthanasia in general.

So Chinese overreach is leading to possible positive developments in Canada, as well as globally. These are just some of the Almighty’s kindnesses that we are seeing these days.

On Purim we celebrate with four customs: Reading the Megilla (the story of Purim) at night, and again on Purim day; giving money to at least two poor people on Purim day; sending at least two types of food to at least one person on Purim day; and eating a festive meal on Purim day.

Interestingly, the Megilla does not mention G-d’s name even once. One lesson we can learn from this, is that although we don’t see G-d physically, nevertheless when we pay careful attention, we can see His presence, and we realize that just as He orchestrated events which led to saving the Jewish people on Purim, so too He conducts everything in every generation, including the miraculous kindnesses that we see now.

May we continue to experience miracles and salvations, and may we very soon see the complete Redemption with Moshiach, when, as the prophet Micah (7; 15) said, “Just as in the days when you left Egypt, I will show you wonders.”