NEWS
Yissurim: A Torah Perspective
by Rav A. Somosi
(The following is based on a loose translation of the Steipler Gaon`s Bircas Peretz, Parshas Mikeitz, which serves as a springboard for a wider discussion of the subject.) It was first published 24 years ago, in 1996, but it is certainly appropriate for our time.
Part II
An Added dimension of the Suffering Involved in Limud HaTorah
The Steipler adds that while all yissurim cleanse sin and also to prepare one for receiving the hashpo'o dekedusha, these yissurim have an added dimension that greatly overshadows the usual benefits. Chazal in Ovos Dereb Nosson (3:6) state, "One mitzvoh carried out through pain is worth a hundred done easily." In Ovos (5:27) it says, "Lefum tza'aroh agroh."
There is, moreover, a greater maaloh than all the above: the yissurim involved in learning Torah and doing mitzvos are always reckoned as bringing a tremendous and powerful merit, and are considered as if one sacrificed his very soul for HaKodosh Boruch Hu!
From this we can understand the tremendous profit of suffering through Torah and mitzvos, which leads us to the explanation of the opening Medrash: "There is no person in the world free of yissurim, fortunate is the one who suffers through Torah."
The Steipler concludes, "There is no guarantee to those who toil in Torah that they will have wealth or something similar in this world. (Wealth is among the life-conditions that are determined at the time of a person's yetzirah.) However it is certain that they will not lose out as a result of eisek Hatorah and that their portion will not be reduced from what they would have received had they not engaged in Torah. However, more than not losing out, there are many benefits to be reaped even in this world proportional to the degree one toils in Torah. Chazal (Sanhedrin 99 ) explain the posuk "Nefesh amoloh, amoloh lo," the person toils in Torah in one place and his Torah reciprocates by working to benefit him somewhere else. However, all these are fringe benefits compared to the main reward for toil in this world, which is reserved for the alma dekshot as Chazal (Brochos 34b) tell us, "All [the rewards] that the nevi'im prophesied are just for someone who gives benefits to a talmid chochom, but the talmid chochom himself, ayin lo ro'osoh—his reward is incomprehensible."
Lest one is left with the mistaken impression that limud haTorah is only associated with yissurim, it should be pointed out that after the initial hardship involved in the beginning of the learning process (kol hascholos koshos), eventually, after breaking through, one experiences the great joy that is truly inherent in Torah learning, the ultimate mesamei'ach lev. There is no greater joy than answering a difficult Rashba. Many tzaddikim said that in the world to come all they want as reward is a shtender with a gemora. This simcha shel mitzvah in no way diminishes either from the reward or from the level of leshmoh of eisek baTorah. In fact it is the form of learning that should be aimed for as explained in the introduction to Eglei Tal. The yissurim referred to above only are present at the beginning. Afterwards, the learning itself is mei'ein Olom Haboh, and, among other things, it helps a person forget his troubles.
Noseh Be'ol: Another Opportunity to Redeem Yissurim
There is yet another possibility of voluntary yissurim to consider which also stems from the kiyum of a mitzvah and also carries with it the added benefit of redeeming yissurim of punishment: noseh be'ol im chaveiro.
A well-known askan who heads one of the prominent chesed organizations which our generation is blessed with, once consulted the Steipler Rav with a question that weighed heavily on his heart. His position demands of him to be a listening ear and helping hand to the most heartbreaking tragedies. He felt he could no longer bear to carry on since he acutely felt everyone's suffering as his own. The Steipler replied, "Know that every person is allotted a specific measure of yissurim. You will not be able to avoid your portion by leaving your position. The amount decreed will come to pass in any case, so you should feel fortunate that you can redeem those yissurim through such an exalted mitzvah!"
A perfect opportunity to practice and internalize this great midoh presents itself whenever Tehillim are being said for a tzoroh, lo oleinu. HaGaon Reb Mendel Kaplan zt'l once asked: How is it that, while the other person has the tzoroh, the kapitlach said are in the first person? In fact much of Tehillim is in first person, "Mei'ayin yovoh ezri," for example. How does the tefillah connect with the one who needs the yeshuoh? The answer is that the effectiveness and potency of davening for others is directly dependent on how much we feel yenem's tzoroh as our own!
Kabolas Yissurim — The Mitzvah and the Benefit
The Medrash (Pirkei Derebbi Eliezer) says that Yitzchok Ovinu (realizing the depth of midas hadin) was the first to ask for yissurim. HaKodosh Boruch Hu answered him, "You are requesting something very beneficial and I shall begin with you as it says, "And when Yitzchok became old his eyes weakened."
The Chofetz Chaim in Shem Olom (Co. 3 in the last footnote) brings a graphic description of din Shomayim he had heard from a "zokein ish emunim" who had heard it from HaRav HaGaon Reb Yaakov Moshe zt'l, who said in the name of his grandfather the Vilna Gaon zt'l: "If it weren't for yissurim we would not know be able to stand. The reason is that when a person departs from this world and the neshomoh stands before the Heavenly Court, there appears before him a scale to weigh his actions to see whether the merits outweigh the sins or, chas vesholom, the opposite. He then hears a Bas Kol call out, "Let all the merits he has earned throughout his lifetime gather."
"Immediately the announcement resonates throughout the Heavenly worlds and all the angels that were created from his mitzvos gather on the right side of the scale. Then a second voice calls out, "Let all the aveiros he committed gather on the left side," whereupon a large gathering of angels shrouded in black take their position on the left side of the scale. Under the weight of the many black angels the scale tips heavily to the left, especially since the mal'achei zechus are generally weaker as mitzvos are often done with less enthusiasm than aveiros.
"When the person sees this, he is overcome with a feeling of dejection, "What will be with me? Surely I will be judged a rosho."
"At that point another voice calls out, "Where are all the yissurim he suffered throughout his lifetime?" Immediately all the yissurim come running to stand on the right side and the scale tips very sharply to the right because the yissurim atone for many of the sins and he remains a tzaddik. He then rejoices and gives great thanks to Hashem for all that he had endured in this world."
This is what the Chofetz Chaim heard directly in the name of the Gaon zt'l. (See also the Ramban`s introduction to his commentary on Iyov.????)
This eye-opening outlook on the blessing of suffering taught us by the Gra serves as a powerful introduction to kabolas yissurim. Ovos (6:4) lists kabolas yissurim as one of the forty- eight ways in which the Torah is acquired. Kabolas yissurim is the quality of humbleness in the face of suffering and submission to the will of Hashem.
Sefer Chareidim (in the section on "Positive Commandments deOraisa Dependent on the Heart that can be Carried Out Every Day," #31) lists kabolas yissurim as a mitzvas asei: "To justify all that befalls us, whether in body, children or possessions, as it says (Devorim 8:5), `Veyodatoh im levovecho ki ka'asher yeyaser ish es beno Hashem Elokecho meyasreko.' From this we see that we should bow our heads in silent acceptance, acknowledging our wrongdoing. We should sift through our actions and return to Him with teshuvoh. This is also the central point of mitzvos ahavas Hashem as it says, `Bechol me'odecho.' Chazal say (Brochos 7b): "bechol midoh umidoh shehu modeid lecho—we are required to love Hashem for any and all portions we receive, both the good and the yissurim."
Kabolas Yissurim: A Prerequisite for Effecting Kaporas Avonos
Chazal in Brochos (5a) compare yissurim to a korbon oshom: just as a sacrifice needs da'as (to have in mind the purpose of the korbon) to bring forgiveness, so too yissurim need da'as (to consciously and willingly accept them) in order for them to bring forgiveness. The gemora continues, "And if he accepts yissurim lovingly, what is his reward (besides having his sins cleansed)? He will see long-lived offspring and in addition he will retain his learning."
Chovos Halevovos (Sha'ar Cheshbon Hanefesh, 27) further calculates the polar difference between utilizing the midoh of kabolas yissurim and not doing so. Chovos Halevovos exhorts us to accept any and all mishaps that befall us with joy, and to bear the burden as one submitting to Hashem's sentence and not as one exasperated by the heavenly decree. An illustration of the importance of this hanhogoh can be learnt, says Chovos Halevovos, when we consider that the central reason for the praise due Avrohom Ovinu for having withstood the Ten Tests, is because he accepted all the trials and tribulations willingly with a gracious heart as it says, "Umotzosoh es levovo ne'eman lefonecho!"
On the other hand Bnei Yisroel in the wilderness were subject to rebuke and punishment because they failed to accept difficult situations willingly, often even rebelled against Hashem and Moshe. Chovos Halevovos concludes that proper submission to our trials with a gracious heart is a good quality and brings great benefit, but if the yissurim are met with resistance and anger there is neither reward nor forgiveness and they do not cleanse sin!
In Beis Elokim (Sha'ar Teshuvoh 8), the Mabit states, "For whoever resists yissurim, the yissurim do not effect forgiveness as we find in Yirmiyohu (10:24): `Yasreini Hashem ach bemishpot, al be'apcho pen tam'iteini.' [I want] the yissurim that come upon me to be a kaporoh bemishpot, therefore I pray that yetzer hora should not cause me to resist them thereby turning them into yissurim of nekomoh which will only diminish me. Yissurim that effect forgiveness make man greater for he is cleansed of his sins. However if yissurim do not effect forgiveness it only serves to diminish the man since he has been injured without any benefit."
Imagine, lo oleinu, that someone undergoes all the phases of a painful operation except for the phase which would cure his ailment. What a pity to have suffered so much in vain! Likewise, a person who is subjected to pain and suffering without kabolas yissurim is to be pitied for he has lost out on the great benefits of yissurim and suffered in vain.
End of Part II
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