08 Dec PARSHAS VAYIGASH

Why Good People Suffer

David HaMelech said, “I will begin to tell my riddle with my harp …” (Tehillim 49:5) but the chapter doesn’t tell any riddles. Reb Yohonoson Eibshitz zt’l said that the riddle is why do good people suffer? What is the purpose of pain and distress? The answer is Becinor. The decibel of a harp (and all other string instruments) is dependent on how strong one pulls on the strings. Similarly, the hardships we go through tugs us, ripen us, and makes us into better people. Two Yidden once came to Reb Avraham HaMalach zt’l (some say that they came to the Baal Shem Tov zy’a); each had his individual problem. One of them had a bad wife that he wanted to divorce. The other had a failing business and many people were constantly nudging him to pay up his debts. He wanted to sell his business and with the money he earns, pay up all his debts. Reb Avraham HaMalach told both of them to leave matters as they were. This one shouldn’t divorce his wife, and the other one shouldn’t sell his business. A month later, one of those men returned to Reb Avraham HaMalach and said, “Please daven for my friend – the one with the failing business – he suddenly became very ill.” “Tell me,” Reb Avraham HaMalach asked, “what did he do with his business? Did he keep it, like I advised him?” “No, he sold it and paid off his debts.” “When you were here a month ago, I saw that both of you were destined to die. But since you had a bad wife, and he had a failing business, you were permitted to continue living. Because the Gemara says, “one who has a bad wife… his life isn’t a life’ (Beitzah 32). Chazal also say, ‘A pauper is compared to the dead’ (Nedarim 64). Your lives were a form of death and that redeemed you from dying a literal death. “You listened to my advice; you stayed with your wife. You will continue living. But your friend sold his business and freed himself from his financial hardships so he doesn’t have that protection anymore. What can I do for him now?” We learn from this story to be satisfied with our lot because the hardships that we go through may be saving us from far graver situations. There was a very wealthy person in Brisk who earned his wealth by selling lumber. He owned all the forests in the vicinity. But then there was a great fire and all the forests burned down, and together with it went his wealth. Whenever he would walk near the forest, he would say, “Forest! Forest! Woe unto me! How much money did I invest in you, and it was all for nothing…” The Beis HaLevi zt’l (the Rav of Brisk) corrected him. “You think you lost your money because you invested in the forests. Actually, you bought the forests because it was destined for you to lose your money.” There was a couple who didn’t have children. The husband asked his wife to travel to the tzaddik, Rebbe Meir of Premishlan to ask the Rebbe for a brachah. “Tell him that I am even prepared to lose my wealth, if that is needed, as long as we merit having children.” She traveled to Premishlan and said to the Rebbe, “My husband said that he is even ready to remain with his wealth, as long as he has children.” Rebbe Meir of Premishlan laughed. “You didn’t err with your words. You said it correctly because why shouldn’t he have both – wealth and children? Hashem can do anything. He doesn’t need to take away your wealth in order to give you children. With tefillah, you can have both.”

Bitachon

How would you feel if a very wealthy person tells you, “You don’t need to worry about financial matters any more. Whenever you need some money, just ask me and I’ll give you whatever you need”? Most people would be happy with this offer. And even better, how would you feel if Hashem tells you, “I’m going to take care of you. From now on I will give you whatever you need.” This is even better, because a person is limited in how much he can give you but Hashem can do anything. Also, it’s embarrassing to rely on people for help. But we are ultimately all dependent on Hashem. How wonderful it would be if Hashem made a private pact with us and would promise that from now on, whatever we want is ours. This sense of security is the lot of those who have bitachon. As the Rabbeinu B’Chaya writes, one’s heart is strong with his trust, as if Hashem promised him.” He feels certain that Hashem will help him, just as certain as the one to whom Hashem openly said He would help him. A person who lives with this attitude is most definitely the happiest person in the world. When the Brisker Rav zt’l got married, his wealthy father-in-law endowed him with an entire street in Warsaw, as a dowry. But this gift came along with many obligations (such as: finding tenants, collecting the rent, hiring handymen to maintain the houses etc.) and the Brisker Rav realized that his newly received wealth was taking him away from Torah study. So the Brisker Rav hired an agent to sell the street and the houses for him. But then WWI began and the Brisker Rav had to run away. When he returned to Warsaw, the agent was no longer among the living. The Brisker Rav went to the government archives to see what happened to his property. What he found out was disappointing. The agent wasn’t honest and had put the street with all its houses on his own name. To encourage himself and to retain the Torah-true outlook, the Brisker Rav began studying Shaar HaBitachon from the Chovas HaLevavos many times. He said, “I used to think that someone who owns a street in Warsaw is wealthy. Now I know that someone who studies Shaar HaBitachon tens of times is wealthy, because bitachon makes a person stay calm. No one in the world is happier than someone who has bitachon.” With a broken heart, a wagon driver once said to the Chofetz Chaim, “My horse died. It was my sole source for parnassah. Now I don’t know what will be.” The Chofetz Chaim replied, “I agree with you, if you think your horse was your source of parnassah, that you have reason to cry and be worried. I advise you, however, to recognize that Hashem is your source of parnassah. If you know this, you won’t care whether your horse is alive or dead. Hashem, who supported you until now will continue to do so.”