Why Do Disasters Occur?
This question and answer were automatically translated using our trained AI and have not yet been reviewed by a qualified rabbi. Please treat this translation with caution.
go to original →
Question
Shalom Aleichem, My question might seem not very serious, but I would still appreciate an answer. Why do people die in natural disasters? Such as tsunamis, avalanches, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Why does this happen and for what purpose? Thank you for the answer.
Answer
Your question is very important, serious, and touches on fundamental aspects of faith.
According to Judaism, people do not die simply because there was an earthquake or a tsunami. The logic is the opposite: the disaster occurs because it was decreed for people to die.
Even if hundreds or thousands of people die in a disaster, it is not a general decree for all of them. In reality, the Almighty made a decision regarding each individual. Each of the deceased had a different reason why they had to die.
Certainly, there is also a reason why it happens as a general disaster, to shake the world and awaken it. The Almighty could have arranged for each of them to die separately in an accident or from a heart attack or stroke.