Frum Torah perspective on Hurricane Sandy

The non stop  media coverage on Hurricane Sandy has us listening to many reporters, politicians  meteorologists and others in expressing their personal observations on the devastation and power of the storm. We hear about how mother nature did this and how surprised  and shocked they are. How could this happen? the waves washed out the entire man made boardwalk? the sand dunes just washed away. 

As frum Torah yidden our response and reaction to a devastating Hurricane should not be with words such as Surpprised, or shocking, our reaction and lesson is we are AWED by the power of hashem. We don't see these events on a daily basis, however when an extraordinary event happens we cant be surprised by it. We are in awe of the gevurah of the eibishter we see it is the YAD HASHEM. We say gevuros 3 times a day in shmone esrei. In the shir shel yom on Monday we say  ברוח קדים תשבר אניות תרשיש hashem can destroy mighty ships withan easterly wind. We know that hashem can do this. What we are in awe of is the change of the natural tevah we are used to on a daily basis. We understand and know as true maaminim what the gemara in Chagiga (12a) tells us that hashem told the waves to stop so to he can tell the waves to storm the shore.