The message of Job

The ocurrence of a catastrophe leads Orthodox Jews, as it did Job to one conclusion which is to praise God in every event. Prayer is the objective of religion, to get the individual to pray to God at all times regularly, 3 times a day in Judaism, 5 times a day in Islam. Pray, Pray, Pray always. On Lag B’Omer the crowd was pushed from behind and those in front unavoidably crushed those in front of them under foot. On Sunday evening the tribunal came crashing down. The Orthodox Jewish Community of Israel was struck on Lag B’Omer, by the catastrophe at Meron, the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar yochai. 45 people lost their lives. On Sunday night, disaster struck them again; at the town of Givat Zeev, while the loyal followers of God were celebrating the festival of Shavuot. Two people died and 150 were injured. Could this mean that catastrophe deliberately chose those unfortunate people for its fodder. The question is irrrelevant to believers. Their response can only be to continue praying as always. Job doesn't ask this question, neither do the Orthodox community who suffered the terrible tragedies of the last two weeks. In fact nobody knows why tragedies happen to some people and not to others. The philosophers and theologians ask, why the good suffer and the bad are rewarded are wasting their time. The book of Job at the beginning states it's viewpoint :

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.”(Job 1:21)

Job’s sufferings don’t cause him to lose faith. This is also the conclusion of the tragedy that happened to the orthodx Jews at Meron and Givat Zeev. As in the case of Job, so with modern Orthodox Jews, tragedy does not cause God’s loyal followers to lose faith. Despite everything, however, the lesson from the book of Job and other catastrophes is not learned. People will forever go on blaming God or some other metaphysical power for causing a tragedy. It's only right to find the Scientific cause of every catastrophe. This is the right reaction not, as some people do, feel guilty and punish themselves or as some do search in the deeds of the departed for a reason. Reasons are real things and must be revealed. Putting the blame on God or on some action of the individual or a group of individuals is simply an attempt of people to escape proper enquiry. Man must continue to pray and praise God and at the same time to thoroughly investigate the real cause, because every catastrophe has a real cause and people have an obligation to find it.