Stories like the one we find hinted at in Sifrei Devarim 43.
It all starts with Lot, Abraham's nephew. Remember him? We find him in Bereshith (Genesis) 13:10, choosing to settle in the lush, well-watered plain of the Jordan. The Torah describes it as "mashkeh" – watered, irrigated. A good thing. But things go south, as they often do. Later, in Bereshith 19:33, we find Lot's daughters giving him wine to drink – "vatashkena," a word related to "mashkeh" – so they can… well, let's just say it's a dark chapter in the family saga.
Now, here’s the kicker. Where on earth did they get wine in that cave? That's the question the Sifrei Devarim poses.
The answer? It was "in readiness" for them. Prepared. As the prophet Yoel (Joel) says in 4:18, "And it shall be on that day that the mountains shall drip wine." A rather miraculous image, wouldn't you say? A divine preparation.
So, think about this for a second. Even for Lot, who ends up in this rather unsavory situation, there's a sort of…divine provision. Wine appears in a cave to enable actions that, to put it mildly, aren't exactly holy.
The Sifrei Devarim then asks a powerful question: If HaShem, the Holy One Blessed be He, goes to such lengths even for those who anger Him, how much more so for those who do His will?
It's a profound thought, isn't it? If even in the midst of questionable choices, there is some level of divine accommodation, imagine the blessings that await those who strive to live righteously. It makes you wonder about the unseen forces at play in our own lives, the ways in which we are supported, even when we might not deserve it. And it certainly makes you think about the incredible potential for reward that exists when we actively choose to align ourselves with the divine will.