From The Carmel Fire, A Story Of Hashgacha Pratis

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein relates a story of Hashgacha Pratis in the Carmel Fire:

Part of the most recent update from the firelines by Prof. Menachem Kellner of University of Haifa may be a good illustration of the old saw that anyone who believes all the stories about the Besht is a fool, but anyone who believes none of them is a kofer:

Now comes a story almost too good to be true. The Rabbi of Nir Etzion (my friend, colleague and also doctoral student) told me that the fire approached the village on several occasions on Shabbat, from different directions, and each time it stopped at the eruv (=legal fiction “fence” which enables observant Jews to carry in public areas on the Sabbath)! Nir Etzion was spared direct fire damage, but the nearby youth village of Yemin Orde (named after Orde Wingate) suffered great damage and he hopes to be able to help them recover. One of our good friends has grandchildren living there (they are teachers in the school) and their home is still standing, but only barely: collapsed roof, massive water damage – and they are among the lucky ones!

The story, if true, is an example of what we have experienced throughout history. Even at times that we were engulfed in the flames of charon af, we were able to see inexplicable signs of hashgacha peratis at work. That always provided hope from among the embers.

Read the whole thing.

Technorati Tag: Carmel Fire.