The Gem. says that when Hash-m gives sustenance he gives it for the living and not for the dead. Therefore in a case where Kllal Yisroel suffers from both a famine and a plague it is enough to pray for the famine and if their prayers for the famine will be answered, the plague will stop automatically. And the Gem. brings the posuk from Ashrei to prove the above.
My question is-
1)we say this posuk everyday to thank (ask) Hash-m for giving us food. And B'H He does. So how can He ever bring a plague alone on the world if He's giving us food already?!
2)Every morning in the 'midbar' the Ribono Shel Olam gave us food yet we see that He brought the plague of fiery serpents upon them even though He had just fed them through a nes.
Thank you for the time you take to answer all our questions.
alex lebovits, toronto, canada
1) Hash-m could definitely bring a plague without famine. This is because all of the food could be intended any number of people, and even be exported for the needs of people in a different country. Hash-m would not be creating food especially for the country with the plague (though they might get some as well). However, if the people involved in the plague ask for sustenance and Hash-m would now make food available due to these Tefilos, He would definitely have mercy on the Davening public that they should use the food "in good health."
2) Similar to my answer above, the Jews were given food as a whole nation. Though some died in the plague of the serpents, the nation at large was being given food. [I anticipate someone might ask from the Slav. However, that was not so much as providing food as "death by food."]
Thanks for the great questions,
Yaakov Montrose