Post-Gustav Thoughts

• Baruch Hashem the damage done by Gustav to the United States was relatively minor, compared to what was expected.


• The אימה ופחד from the event of the hurricane itself primarily happened on Rosh Hodesh Ellul – the same month when World War 2 started and the same month when September 11th happened – showing us that this too is something we need introspection and Teshuva for. (New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said, “You need to be scared.”) This is exactly 1 month before we say ובכן תן פחדך וגו.


• The mandatory evacuations from New Orleans happened during the last day of Av – the same month when the voluntary evacuations from Katrina took place and the same month when the Disengagement from Gush Katif took place.


• Crazy me - I did a Torah search on the Gematria of קטרינה גוסטב (Katrina Gustav), where קטרינה = 374 and גוסטב = 80. Added together, 374 + 80 = 454. Some of the more interesting finds (Gematria of 454 in red):


• Bereishit 2:13 ושם הנהר השני גיחון הוא הסובב את כל ארץ כוש


• and Rashi says גיחון – שהיה הולך והומה והמייתו גדולה מאד, כמו וכי יגח שמנגח והולך והומה


• a remez from the Ibn Ezra who says in פסוק יא about the גיחון that והוא בא מפאת מזרחית דרומית that it comes from the southeastern corner


• Bereishit 6:17 ואני הנני מביא את המבול מים על הארץ


• The only other place in Tanach where it has the words “מביא את” together (other than ירמיה לט – where the כתיב drops the “א”) is in Zecharia 3 הנני מביא את עבדי צמח


• Devarim 32:30 איכה ירדף אחד אלף ושנים יניסו רבבה אם לא כי צורם מכרם וה' הסגירם


• Both hurricanes chased many people away from their homes, but more people left their homes in Gustav than Katrina. The אחד (Katrina) chased away אלף, while both hurricanes together chased away many times more.


• If Katrina uses the word רדף to denote chasing and Gustav uses the word נס to denote chasing, then another verse in Vayikra 26:36ונסו מנסת חרב ונפלו ואין רדף could refer to the fact that many left their homes for Gustav, but it was no Katrina, so they really didn't need to leave.