Israel's Economic Miracle

By Moshe Feiglin

"And Elisha said: Listen to the word of G-d, for so says G-d: At this time tomorrow a measure of fine flour will cost one shekel and two measures of barley will cost one shekel on the Shomron exchange. And the king's captain, on whom he relied, answered the man of G-d and said: Will G-d make windows in heaven? Will this thing take place? And he answered: You will see it with your eyes but you will not eat from there.
(From this week's Prophets portion, Kings II, 7:1-2)

Everyone was starving to death in Shomron, the kingdom of Israel's capital. There was even cannibalism. The mighty Aram army was deployed in siege mode in the valley, patiently waiting for the city to fall. Not only did they have an abundance of food, but also heaps of gold and silver. Why work hard and endanger themselves trying to climb up the treacherous slopes and menacing fortifications to Shomron? Soon, they were sure, the starving population would surrender their city for a few crumbs.

And the prophet? What does he have to say about this dire situation?

The prophet Elisha writes an economic forecast that seems to be taken from Globes. Does anybody really care how much grain will cost on the local exchange? Couldn't he simply say that tomorrow morning there will be abundant food for all?

G-d's Divine Providence is everywhere, but it is most obvious in economics. Economics is not science. No experts were able to tell us exactly when the last economic crisis would occur. Like historians, economists do a better job explaining what happened in the past than forecasting what will take place in the future.

If an economic expert had claimed five years ago that the Israeli currency would be the most stable in the (Western) world and that the entire world would flee the dollar, he would likely have been ridiculed, just as the captain ridiculed Elisha. But we are witnessing an economic miracle unfolding live. Due to the fact that we are the recipients of the miracle, we do not recognize it as such. We do not understand how the Creator changes the world - first and foremost through its economies.

Just as the Aram army fled within minutes, so America and Europe are disintegrating before our eyes. A new, G-dly world is waiting at the door. The process is being led by the economy. Elisha understood the axis around which all the processes were taking place and used it to depict reality.

Our Sages predicted that before the redemption, the gold of all the world will flow to the Land of Israel. The light that will shine forth from Zion will be preceded by great wealth, so that Israel's wisdom will not be the scorned wisdom of the destitute.

The gold is already starting to flow. Now we have to make sure to be worthy of the miracles.

Shabbat Shalom