We concluded the previous column by noting how few things test our bitachon more than seeing pain in the lives of those who seem to deserve it least – or apparent blessing in the lives of those who seem to merit it least. In this column, we will tackle one of the oldest and most perplexing questions in Jewish thought: why does it sometimes appear that the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper? Because when we understand this, it changes not only how we see the world, but also deepens and strengthens our bitachon.
When Good Things Happen to Bad People
At times, Hashem allows the wicked to prosper to compensate them for any good deeds they have performed. The Torah states, “Hashem repays those who hate Him to their face, to cause them to perish; He will not delay the one who hates Him, He will repay him to his face” (Devarim 7:9-10). Rambam explains that during the person’s lifetime, Hashem compensates him for any good that he has done because he will be lost from the World to Come (see Rashi on v. 10). The good that he speaks of does not consist of mitzvos (or ordeals as a result of a tikkun), because such deeds refine the soul and would allow him to receive a reward in the Next World. Instead, he refers to the value of contributing to the illusion of an independent natural world, emphasizing the greater purpose it serves (see Chapter 19 for elaboration).
We should note here that Hashem may allow this person to succeed in the natural world while a more righteous person may be unsuccessful because their payment is possible in the Next World. Furthermore, reward for the righteous may be withheld until the Next World, despite their efforts in the natural world (Berachos 5a). They might also experience additional challenges, or yissurim shel ahava (“tribulations of love”), to maximize their reward in the Next World. Certainly, the emotional laws of free will remain in effect, enabling the righteous to find extraordinary pleasure in their meaningful lives.
All the good we help bring into existence benefits us in the Next World, to the extent that the soul grows from the experience. A person may then receive a portion of their reward in This World (see Devarim 7:10; Tehillim 92). However, there is no comparison between the rewards of This World and the Next. So how does Hashem orchestrate such an arrangement? The answer lies in the reality that any aspect of the soul that remains unrefined cannot resonate with Hashem and therefore, cannot bond with Him. As a result, such a person receives their reward in this world – not as a shortchange, but simply because they are unable to receive it in the Next.
The currency of the Next World is as meaningless to him as play money is in This World. Logically, he cannot benefit from it because he lacks appreciation for truth. He lacks appreciation for truth because he fails to recognize it, and he fails to recognize it because he has become too dissimilar from it. As for the truly evil, they must be fully paid out in This World, for in Olam Haba, they will be entirely incompatible with existence. As we previously explored, pain is the experience of distance from Hashem – but more profoundly, it is separation from existence itself. Hashem is everything; He is existence – reality itself.
Evil cannot attach to existence, and this disconnection is the worst suffering, the experiential void of nonexistence. In Olam Haba, we receive what we have created. What did the rasha (“wicked person”) shape himself into? Nothing – and that becomes his experience: nothingness.
Chesed for All
The concepts of mazal and tikkun, together with the explanations above, help clarify why seemingly undeserving individuals may at times receive good. Yet even beyond these factors, a deeper question arises when we consider the force of bitachon. Dovid HaMelech writes, “Many are the torments of the wicked, but one who trusts in Hashem – kindness surrounds him” (Tehillim 32:10), and, “Fortunate is the man who places his trust in Hashem” (Tehillim 40:5). Rashi comments that Hashem protects those who believe in His salvation and rely on it (Tehillim 31:24; 40:5).
The Chofetz Chaim (among others) teaches that a person who truly relies on Hashem will be encompassed by His loving kindness – even if, on the merits, that person is undeserving. In fact, the Vilna Gaon is cited as noting that even a thief who trusts in Hashem may succeed in stealing (Even Sheleimah 1).
In the next column, we’ll explain the mechanics of this system in detail. First, however, two clarifications. Life satisfaction, emotional health, and happiness are shaped far more by our choices than by our circumstances. And “success” in this context – such as a thief’s apparent gain – does not imply:
(a) that what was gained will ultimately prove beneficial; often what we grasp for becomes a source of sorrow;
(b) that the thief is spared guilt or shame, either of which can blunt or even nullify any enjoyment – even when the gain has practical value; or
(c) that the soul escapes consequence; spiritual damage endures.
As it says, “The evil one will not go unpunished” (Mishlei 11:21). Every sin is accounted for – whether in All the good we help bring into existence benefits us in the Next World, to the extent that the soul grows from the experience. This World or in the World to Come (see Kovetz He’aros, Beurei Aggados 5). As the Ramchal explains: “Hashem judges each individual deed according to its circumstances – whether accidental or purposeful, whether forced or willful” (Derech Hashem 2:3:4).
To be continued.