When bad things happen, how should we respond? Scripture often portrays tragedy, especially on a collective or national level, as punishment. Are catastrophes the product of Divine wrath? How can we relate to this? We’ll look at Biblical texts (in English) examining the concept of Divine punishment, as well as other explanations for calamities. We’ll consider the varied perspectives of the Torah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Job, and Kohelet, to try and figure out what they say, and how we can use that to inform our own outlook and understanding.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Jonathan Reich is a teacher of Hebrew Bible and Jewish history and literature. He has studied at Washington University in St. Louis, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Harvard Divinity School, and Harvard’s department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. His favorite Biblical scholar is Rashi. Jonathan lives in Brookline, MA, along with his African Grey parrot, Iggy.