Question:

I don't understand. If we are all G‑d's children, and G‑d's mercy extends to all His creations, why did G‑d need to bring on such great harm as blight, plague, and the death of the first born to get the Children of Israel out of Egypt? I understand the problem was that the Egyptians were wicked and needed to be punished and the Israelites were enslaved and mistreated and something had to be done to free them. But couldn't G‑d have found a better way?

Answer:

The entirety of history is a process in which the world is slowly purified and becomes a receptive channel for G‑d's light. When it is still coarse, G‑dliness comes crashing in, because it is Infinite Light and the world cannot contain such a light. But as we approach the messianic times and the purification becomes more complete, miracles can land gently. The fall of the communist party was somewhat a gentler miracle -- a great miracle, but much gentler.

Today, amazing miracles are happening, far beyond the Exodus. But we all want to remain skeptics and prefer not to notice. If we open our minds and eyes, we will see extraordinary changes entering our world -- in peace and tranquility.