NEWS
Yissurim: A Torah Perspective
by Rav A. Somosi
The Centrality of Yissurim in our lives
Medrash Rabba, Parshas Mikeitz (92),"Reb Alexanderi declared, `There is no person in the world who is free of yissurim. Fortunate is he whose suffering comes upon him through the Torah as it says: `Ashrei hagever asher teyasreno Hashem, umitorosechoh telamedeno.'"
This Medrash teaches us an important principle: in Hashem`s grand scheme, suffering is an integral part of our lives. In fact, yissurim are vital for our spiritual well being to the point that everyone must experience them on a regular basis. The extent to which non-suffering is considered unnatural can be seen in Erchin 16b where it says that if someone passes through a forty day period without at least some suffering, it is a sign that he has been given his full reward in this world.
Yissurim: An Antidote for Aveiros
The Steipler zt'l explains that there are two basic reasons that yissurim are important. First: to cleanse a person of his sins, as it is stated in Shabbos 55a, "There is no suffering without sin" (except in the case of great tzaddikim who merit Yissurim mei'ahava. Some tzaddikim even invite their suffering, as in Bava Metzia 87a.).
Rabbeinu Yonah in Sha'arei Teshuvah (Sha'ar 2:3) explains that there are two aspects of the link between sin and suffering. One is that sin is an ailment—like a physical ailment—and suffering is its prescribed treatment. Second, suffering serves to rebuke a person who has sinned and to awaken him to teshuvah. Thus yissurim serve both to cleanse past sins and to prevent future ones.
Yissurim: A Means to Merit Spirituality
Another purpose of yissurim, explains the Steipler, is that only through suffering can one merit real spiritual acquisitions as it says in Brochos 5a, "HaKodosh Boruch Hu bestowed three valuable gifts on Yisroel, and He gave them only through suffering. The three are: Torah, Eretz Yisroel and Olom Haboh."
The Maharshoh explains that the suffering serves to remove obstacles in the path of attaining the three gifts. Torah can only be acquired if one is not distracted by worldly pleasures, and suffering minimizes one's preoccupation with those. The maaloh of Eretz Yisroel can only be realized if one`s intentions in residing there are spiritual and not only to enjoy the fruit of the land. The yissurim again minimize the material attractiveness of the Land. Finally, Olom Haboh can only be attained after one is purged of sin.
However, The Steipler apparently understood that yissurim serve in a positive capacity that facilitates acquiring these spiritual gifts, rather than just by serving to remove hindrances as the Maharsho explains.
The Iyei Hayam on aggodas hashas concurs with the approach of the Steipler. He compares yissurim to the germination process in which growth is preceded by the decomposition of the seed. Likewise yissurim are a necessary step that precede acquiring the three gifts. He quotes Bereishis Rabba (9): "Reb Shimon Bar Yochai said, `[The word] "tov" is the angel of life, "tov me'od" is the angel of death... Reb Shimon ben Elozor says, `"Vehinei tov" is the good mido, tov me`od is the mido of Retribution."
The Iyei Hayam explains that just as seeds, which are good in themselves, can only bring about the much greater benefit of producing an abundant crop after they undergo process of decay, so death and retribution scour the material aspect of a person, and thereby enable a person to reap the benefit of Olom Haboh which is tov me`od. In that way they are themselves part of that "tov me`od." That, continues the Iyei Hayam, is what Reb Shimon bar Yochai is telling us in the gemora in Brochos, that these three gifts are "very good" by the virtue of their having to be preceded by yissurim.
These two basic aspects of yissurim are summed up by Dovid Hamelech in Tehillim (25:10), "Kol orchos Hashem chesed ve`emes lenotzrei briso ve'eidosov." Chovos Halevovos (Cheshbon Hanefesh 27) explains the posuk to be referring to the two ways Hashem sends yissurim upon a person: They either bring forgiveness for sins—which is emes since they come upon him bedin—or, Hashem sends them so that He may reward the person who withstands the test. In that case it is chesed.
Yissurim as Punishment: the Exactness of Their Application
The Steipler continues with another important rule that we must constantly bear in mind. Hashem does not decree suffering in a rough or approximate measure, but rather in very precise and exact dosages. The gemora in Erchin (16b) that we mentioned earlier tells us that even a slight inconvenience—such as placing one`s hand in his pocket to retrieve three coins and coming up with only two—is considered a measurable amount of suffering.
In Avoda Zorah 53a, Chazal explain the posuk (Devorim 28), "Vecholoyim ro'im vene'emonim" to mean that, while illness and suffering are malignant in their effects, they are, however, trustworthy in their vow. They are sworn to leave at an appointed time without tarrying even a second longer (than was decreed). In Chulin (7b) it says, "A person does not [even] stub his finger in this world without it being decreed from Above."
Thus, the application of yissurim is very exact, both in their amount and in the length of time. Every detail is precisely measured as only the infinitely expert hand of Hashem can execute.
HaRav Shach shlita often illustrated this point from the parsha of mechiras Yosef. Rashi (Bereishis 37:25) brings the medrash saying that the caravan of the Yishmoelim to which Yosef was sold, carried sweet spices rather than their usual cargo of foul smelling tar, so as to spare Yosef from suffering the offensive odors. The obvious question is, what is the tzaar of foul odors compared to the far greater pain and anguish Yosef must have felt at being torn from Yaakov Ovinu`s home, the source of the greatest kedusha, where he studied Torah at his father`s table, to face an uncertain future as a slave? It seems that the discomfort of any bad smell would pale into utter insignificance.
In light of the above rule it can be well understood: the mido of precision in the din of Shomayim requires that not even one iota more of suffering be dealt out than is actually warranted. Although Yosef may have barely noticed the smell whether good or bad, nevertheless since a bad smell would have exceeded his decreed amount of suffering, he was spared even that tzaar.
Rachamim Badin
While the punishment itself is so precisely measured, the Steipler continues, calculating how much suffering one must undergo as a result of his actions is done with the greatest midas horachamim.
In Pesochim (118b) the gemora states, "'Praise to Hashem for His goodness,' for He collects what is due [even] from the goodness He bestows upon us: the wealthy (is punished) through his oxen, the poor man through his sheep, the orphan through his eggs and the widow through her fowl."
Sifri in Parshas Vo`eschanon declares, "HaKodosh Boruch Hu says,'You and your heart know that the actions you have committed and the resulting yissurim are not commensurate". Even a person with his limited understanding knows that with the strict application of din he would be liable for much more.
This does not mean to say that HaKodosh Boruch Hu waives the severity of the punishment, "Kol ha'omer HaKodosh Boruch Hu vatron, yevatru chayov (Bava Kama 50a)." Rather, many cheshbonos are one according to the middos horachamim. A relatively familiar example is the "chishav es hakeitz" of yetzi'as Mitzrayim where for various reasons HaKodosh Boruch Hu considered the decree that Avrohom's descendants would undergo four hundred years golus to begin the count with the birth of Yitzchok instead of going down to Mitzrayim. This was not a vitur, just a different kind of accounting.
Desirability of Self-induced Suffering for Spiritual Attainment
Since suffering has such positive aspects and is of such paramount importance in our lives, one might be tempted to consider voluntarily bringing pain upon himself in order to attain greater spiritual heights. We find (Brochos 5b) when Reb Chiyoh Bar Abbo and Reb Yochanan fell ill, both preferred to forego the benefits of the yissurim, "Lo hein velo sechorom."
The Maharsho explains that in the case of the gedolei olom, the yissurim caused bitul Torah since they fell ill. In the prayer we say before retiring (Ribono Shel Olom) we beseech Hashem that He cleanse us of our sins, but without subjecting us to pain and harsh suffering (which can disturb our avodas Hashem). We also daven in birchos hashachar, "Lo lidei nisoyon," that we should be spared tests. Reb Yisroel Salanter zt'l said, "Our avoda is to minimize tests and maximize yir'oh."
Only great sages such as Rabbenu HaKodosh or Reb Elazar the son of Reb Shimon Bar Yochai used to invite suffering upon themselves (Bava Metzia 87). Their avoda was enhanced without bitul Torah. For us it is not a viable path of serving Hashem.
Fasting is, however, an acceptable and time-honored form of self induced suffering, that was recommended throughout the generations (see Rabbeinu Yonah 4:12) for both kaporas avonos and enhancing ruchniyus. Still it is questionable if in today's weak generation, the negative consequences of bitul Torah and avoda caused by the fasting may outweigh the benefit of a fast.
Mishna Berurah (Orach Chaim 571:1) writes that it is preferable to undertake a taanis dibur since it does not damage either the body or the soul, or to undertake, while still hungry and eating a meal, to refrain from eating one's fill. Rabbeinu Yonah in Yesod Hatshuva brings from the Ravad (whom he calls one of the chassidei olom) that this practice is preferable to outright abstinence, and that each time this is done it is considered as a complete fast. The Mishna Berurah concludes by referring us to the Igeres Hagra where the Gaon writes, "A person should not torment himself with taanis or sigufim but rather by controlling and restraining his speech and his desires." The Mechaber (ibid. 2) rules that a talmid chochom is not allowed to fast aside from public fast days, as doing so diminishes his ability to do heavenly work.
A Positive Form of Voluntary Yissurim
The Steipler notes that there is one form of voluntary suffering that not only does not disturb our avoda, it greatly enhances it. These are the yissurim we incur as a result of striving to do mitzvos and to study Torah in spite of adverse conditions such as financial difficulties, or overcoming tiredness for the sake of learning Torah, or even the toil itself such as at a time when one is not inclined to learn. All these are highly desirable forms of suffering.
After it is clear that yissurim are given out in such exact measure, it surely follows, reasons the Steipler, that these yissurim that stem from fulfilling Torah and mitzvos are considered bona fide yissurim in Heaven and are, accordingly, deducted from the yissurim that would otherwise have come upon him as punishment. Therefore, the Steipler concludes, one does not lose, but only gains by undergoing yissurim for the sake of Torah in lieu of other suffering. (We find this concept is also expressed by Rabbeinu Yonah in Sha'arei Teshuvah 4:11)
End of Part I
|
