G-d Intends The Good
Yosef HaTzaddik found himself in a terrible situation. Sold into slavery by his own brothers, he had every reason to feel wronged. Surprisingly, when he was finally reunited with his brothers in Parshat Vayigash, he told them they were not responsible for where he was. Though they initiated the process by selling him as a slave, it was Hashem who had put him in a position of power (Bereishit 45:5-8). In Parshat Vayechi, Yosef added that, although his brothers had bad intentions, Hashem designed a positive outcome (Ibid 50:20).
Yosef`s positive outlook teaches us an important lesson. Everything we experience is ultimately for the good – even things that seem bad and even things done to us by other people. Though we might have viewed Yosef’s miraculous rise from prison to viceroy as uniquely providential, Nachum Ish Gamzu and (his talmid) Rebbi Akiva teach us that all occurrences are (from Hashem and) for the good.
Even suffering intended to punish us ultimately has a positive outcome. The Sifri (Ha’azinu 5) encourages one suffering to reflect upon the great reward yisurin earn us in the next world. Nachum Ish Gamzu and Rebbe Akiva add that yisurin have a positive outcome in this world as well.
This teaching should help us maintain our simchat ha’chayim (happiness with life). The Torah emphasizes the importance of being happy. The Ba’al HaTanya (Iggeret Hakodesh, Perek 11) explains that our happiness should be based upon our realization that nothing bad comes from Above. We should celebrate the fact that everything we experience will ultimately benefit us.
How It Is For the Good
So what good does suffering bring? Chazal give a few examples.
Relatively minor inconveniences often save us from danger. Rebbi Akiva told a story of how the death of his donkey and chicken and the extinguishing of his candle saved him from marauders who would otherwise have noticed (and killed) him. Most people would have been upset with the deaths and extinguishing of the candle. Rebbi Akiva responded right away that it must be for the good, and, indeed, it turned out that way.
Chazal give another example of this phenomenon: someone who misses a boat that ends up sinking (Niddah 31a). The person is initially upset when he “misses the boat,” but is appreciative later when he hears about it sinking.
The appearance of tzara’at on the walls of homes in Eretz Yisrael is an additional model. The Torah presents this tzara’at positively (Vayikra 14:34) because it helped the Jews discover the treasure that the Emori people had hidden in the walls of their homes (Vayikra Rabbah (ibid)). The tzara’at is a major inconvenience but well worth it. The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Likutei Sichot, Tazria) sees this as exemplifying a broader phenomenon: suffering reveals the “treasures” hidden deep within ourselves and the world around us.
The death of Boaz’s wife at the beginning of Megillat Rut is an excellent example of this phenomenon. The city of Beit Lechem was in an uproar (Rut 1:19). The wife of Boaz, the city’s leader, had just passed away (Rashi, Rut 1:19). Naturally, people were saddened and mournful. What they did not realize is that Hashem arranged for this to happen so Boaz could marry Rut (who arrived in Beit Lechem that very day) and begin the line that would eventually lead to the birth of Dovid HaMelech (Rashbam, Bava Batra 91a).
The Ramchal (Da’at Tevunot 146) elaborates that we need to realize that growth pangs are the only way to grow. This is why the Gemara (Berachot 5a) teaches that we achieve the most important objectives – Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and Olam Haba – through yisurin. We can only achieve these goals through personal growth, which occurs only once we are forced out of our comfort zone.
The downs of life are ways of reaching heights higher than where we were before. This is how the Seforno (Bereishit 46:4) explains the deeper meaning of Hashem’s words to Yaakov Avinu when he was forced to move to Mitzrayim: “Anochi eireid imcha Mitzraimah, v’Anochi a’alcha gam aloh (I will go down with you to Mitzrayim, and I will surely bring you up) (Bereishit 46:4).” Hashem emphasizes (a’alcha gam aloh) the aliyah that Yaakov’s descendants will experience after leaving Mitzrayim to teach him (and us) that his yeridah will eventually bring him to a higher level. This is true for us and all of our yeridot (downs) as well.
How We Can See It
Obviously, seeing and appreciating the eventual good while suffering is hard. Even Yaakov Avinu struggled with this. When Yosef, disguised as the Egyptian viceroy, harassed his family, Yaakov described the situation as “bad” (Bereishit 43:6). Even once Yosef revealed his true identity and resolved the crisis, Yaakov still summarized his life as “bad.” When Pharaoh asked him how old he was, Yaakov responded that he had lived 130 “few and bad” years (Ibid, 47:9). Though the family had been reunited under Yosef’s royal care, Yaakov still felt the pain of the suffering caused by Eisav, Lavan, Shechem, and his sons.
The medrash (Bereishit Rabbah 95:9) tells us that Yaakov’s life was cut short as punishment for his words. The Baalei HaTosfot (Da’at Zekeinim MiBaalei HaTosfot, Bereishit 47:8) explain that Ya’akov should have used his past experiences to strengthen his faith. Remembering how Hashem had saved him from Eisav and Lavan and how Dina was returned to him should have helped him realize that the difficulties with the “Egyptian viceroy” would also be for the best. We, too, should use our past experiences to inspire confidence in the future.
Often, our reflection upon our past experiences focuses on the suffering and difficulties. Instead, we should focus on the happy endings. The Torah compares Hashem’s disciplinary tactics to those of a father (Devarim 8:5) because a father comforts his son after needing to discipline him (Mishlei 3:12 with Rashi).
This is why Dovid HaMelech proclaimed that he was comforted by Hashem’s shevet (rod) and mishan (support) (Tehillim 23:4). Though Hashem (like a shepherd) sometimes needs to use the stick as a rod, the fact that he also uses the stick to support us reminds us of His love for us (Metzudat Dovid, Tehillim 23:4). The comfort and support remind us that the suffering emanates from Hashem, our loving Father.
Looking back at Jewish history, we see that periods of suffering were always followed by periods of success and growth. The middle of the twentieth century is an excellent example. The Jewish people emerged from the Holocaust in a desperate state. A third of our people and our most substantial religious centers were destroyed. Hashem comforted us with the miraculous founding of the State of Israel, which has fostered our people’s physical and spiritual rejuvenation.
The Gemara depicts Hashem as the greatest artist (Berachot 10a based upon Shmuel I 2:2). Though the canvas looks like a jumble of colors during the painting process, eventually a beautiful picture emerges. Hashem similarly paints our lives. We go through difficult periods during which it is often hard to see the good. In retrospect, we realize that these periods were part of our growth process.
May we develop the vision needed to see the end while still working through the process, and the faith needed to know that the end will be for the best.
*Written by Joshua Pomerantz.
