The tragedy of the humongous loss of life as a result of the massive earthquake in Haiti cannot be overestimated. But what is worse is that many of the survivors are dying because they cannot get timely medical care. Many nations have flown in supply for the healthy survivors and medicine for the sick, but that is not enough. Many patients need a hospital. CNN reported yesterday that only one nation set up a fully functioning field hospital, with operating rooms and other life saving medical equipment: Israel.
Other Israeli teams also joined the rescue effort. Jerusalem Post reported how the ZAKA team rescues eight students in collapsed Haitian university building.
[flash video will open in new window or tab; hat tip: FM]
At times like these we also wonder how to deal with such tragedies religiously. It is the perennial religious question, and Moses himself struggled with this. I believe that the approach I delineated in my essay [original text, in German or automatic Google translation] on the Asian Tsunami of 2004 is applicable now, too.
Mikolot Mayim Rabbim 