Keeping Faith When Bad Things Happen To Good People

(א) שנת תרע"ה.

(ב) במד"ר ויזד יעקב נזיד, אמר לו [עשו] מה טובו של נזיד זה, אמר לו שמת אותו זקן [אברהם] אמר באותו זקן פגעה מדת הדין, א"ל הן, אמר א"כ לא מתן שכר ולא תחיית המתים

Shem MiShmuel, Toldot 6

And Yaacov was stewing a stew.

Esav said: What is the good of this stew?

Yaacov said: The old man [Avraham] has died.

Esav said: The attribute of justice touched that old man?

Yaacov said: Yes.

Esav said: If that is so, there is no reward given and there is no revival of the dead.

קידושין ל״ט ב:ו׳-י״ב

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי מַתְנִיתִין דְּעָבְדִין לֵיהּ יוֹם טָב וָיוֹם בִּישׁ רָבָא אָמַר הָא מַנִּי רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב הִיא דְּאָמַר שְׂכַר מִצְוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לֵיכָּא דְּתַנְיָא רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר אֵין לָךְ כׇּל מִצְוָה וּמִצְוָה שֶׁכְּתוּבָה בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁמַּתַּן שְׂכָרָהּ בְּצִדָּהּ שֶׁאֵין תְּחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים תְּלוּיָה בָּהּ בְּכִיבּוּד אָב וָאֵם כְּתִיב לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכֻן יָמֶיךָ וּלְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ בְּשִׁילּוּחַ הַקֵּן כְּתִיב לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים הֲרֵי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ אָבִיו עֲלֵה לַבִּירָה וְהָבֵא לִי גּוֹזָלוֹת וְעָלָה לַבִּירָה וְשִׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם וְנָטַל אֶת הַבָּנִים וּבַחֲזִירָתוֹ נָפַל וָמֵת הֵיכָן טוֹבַת יָמָיו שֶׁל זֶה וְהֵיכָן אֲרִיכוּת יָמָיו שֶׁל זֶה אֶלָּא לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ לְעוֹלָם שֶׁכּוּלּוֹ טוֹב וּלְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכֻן יָמֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם שֶׁכּוּלּוֹ אָרוֹךְ וְדִלְמָא לָאו הָכִי הֲוָה רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב מַעֲשֶׂה חֲזָא וְדִלְמָא מְהַרְהֵר בַּעֲבֵירָה הֲוָה מַחְשָׁבָה רָעָה אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְצָרְפָהּ לְמַעֲשֶׂה וְדִלְמָא מְהַרְהֵר בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הֲוָה וּכְתִיב לְמַעַן תְּפֹשׂ אֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלִבָּם אִיהוּ נָמֵי הָכִי קָאָמַר אִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ שְׂכַר מִצְוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא אַמַּאי לָא אַגִּין מִצְוֹת עֲלֵיהּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלָא לֵיתֵי לִידֵי הִרְהוּר וְהָא אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שְׁלוּחֵי מִצְוָה אֵין נִזּוֹקִין הָתָם בַּהֲלִיכָתָן שָׁאנֵי וְהָא אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שְׁלוּחֵי מִצְוָה אֵינָן נִזּוֹקִין לֹא בַּהֲלִיכָתָן וְלֹא בַּחֲזִירָתָן סוּלָּם רָעוּעַ הֲוָה דִּקְבִיעַ הֶיזֵּיקָא וְכׇל הֵיכָא דִּקְבִיעַ הֶיזֵּיקָא לָא סָמְכִינַן אַנִּיסָּא דִּכְתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֵיךְ אֵלֵךְ וְשָׁמַע שָׁאוּל וַהֲרָגָנִי

Kiddushin 39b:6-12

Abaye said: When the mishna said that he is rewarded, it means that he has one good day and one bad day. He is rewarded for the mitzvot he performs; nevertheless, occasionally he also has bad days which cleanse him of his sins, and the baraita is referring to those days. Rava said that the mishna and this baraita represent two different opinions. In accordance with whose opinion is this baraita? It is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Ya’akov, who says: There is no reward for performance of a mitzva in this world, as one is rewarded for mitzvot only World-to-Come. As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Ya’akov says: There is not a single mitzva written in the Torah whose reward is stated alongside it, which is not dependent on the resurrection of the dead, i.e., the reward is actually bestowed in the World-to-Come, after the resurrection of the dead. How so? With regard to honoring one’s father and mother it is written: “That your days may be long, and that it may go well with you” (Deuteronomy 5:16). With regard to the dispatch of the mother bird from the nest it is written: “That it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days” (Deuteronomy 22:7). Despite this, it occurred that there was one whose father said to him: Climb to the top of the building and fetch me chicks. And he climbed to the top of the building and dispatched the mother bird and took the young, thereby simultaneously fulfilling the mitzva to dispatch the mother bird from the nest and the mitzva to honor one’s parents, but upon his return he fell and died. Where is the goodness of the days of this one, and where is the length of days of this one? Rather, the verse “that it may be well with you” means in the world where all is well, and “that your days may be long” is referring to the world that is entirely long. The Gemara asks: But perhaps this incident never occurred? It is possible that everyone who performs these mitzvot is rewarded in this world, and the situation described by Rabbi Ya’akov never happened. The Gemara answers: Rabbi Ya’akov himself saw an incident of this kind. The Gemara asks: But perhaps that man was contemplating sin at the time, and he was punished for his thoughts? The Gemara answers that there is a principle that the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not link a bad thought to an action, i.e., one is not punished for thoughts alone. The Gemara asks: But perhaps he was contemplating idol worship at the time, and it is written with regard to idol worship: “So I may take the house of Israel in their own heart” (Ezekiel 14:5), which indicates that one is punished for idolatrous thoughts. The Gemara answers: Rabbi Ya’akov was saying this as well: If it enters your mind that there is reward for performing a mitzva in this world, why didn’t these mitzvot protect him so that he should not come to contemplate idol worship? Since that man was not protected from thoughts of idol worship at the time, this indicates that the performance of mitzvot does not entitle one to merit reward in this world. The Gemara asks: But didn’t Rabbi Elazar say that those on the path to perform a mitzva are not susceptible to harm? How is it possible that this individual, who was sent by his father to perform a mitzva, could have died? The Gemara answers: There, Rabbi Elazar is referring those on their way to perform a mitzva, which is different, as one is not susceptible to harm when he is on his way to fulfill a mitzva. In this case the individual was harmed on his return, and one is not afforded protection after having performed a mitzva. The Gemara asks: But didn’t Rabbi Elazar say that those on the path to perform a mitzva are not susceptible to harm, neither when they are on their way to perform the mitzva nor when they are returning from performing the mitzva? The Gemara answers: In that case it was a rickety ladder, and therefore the danger was established; and anywhere that the danger is established one may not rely on a miracle, as it is written with regard to God’s command to Samuel to anoint David as king in place of Saul: “And Samuel said: How will I go, and Saul will hear and kill me; and God said: Take in your hand a calf and say: I have come to sacrifice an offering to God” (I Samuel 16:2). Although God Himself issued the command, there was concern with regard to the established dangers.

איוב ח׳:א׳-כ״ב

(א) וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (ב) עַד־אָ֥ן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְר֥וּחַ כַּ֝בִּ֗יר אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃ (ג) הַ֭אֵל יְעַוֵּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְאִם־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יְעַוֵּת־צֶֽדֶק׃ (ד) אִם־בָּנֶ֥יךָ חָֽטְאוּ־ל֑וֹ וַֽ֝יְשַׁלְּחֵ֗ם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָֽם׃ (ה) אִם־אַ֭תָּה תְּשַׁחֵ֣ר אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י תִּתְחַנָּֽן׃ (ו) אִם־זַ֥ךְ וְיָשָׁ֗ר אָ֥֫תָּה כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה יָעִ֣יר עָלֶ֑יךָ וְ֝שִׁלַּ֗ם נְוַ֣ת צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ (ז) וְהָיָ֣ה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ֣ מִצְעָ֑ר וְ֝אַחֲרִֽיתְךָ֗ יִשְׂגֶּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃ (ח) כִּֽי־שְׁאַל־נָ֭א לְדֹ֣ר רִישׁ֑וֹן וְ֝כוֹנֵ֗ן לְחֵ֣קֶר אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ (ט) כִּֽי־תְמ֣וֹל אֲ֭נַחְנוּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע כִּ֤י צֵ֖ל יָמֵ֣ינוּ עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ (י) הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם י֭וֹרוּךָ יֹ֣אמְרוּ לָ֑ךְ וּ֝מִלִּבָּ֗ם יוֹצִ֥אוּ מִלִּֽים׃ (יא) הֲיִֽגְאֶה־גֹּ֭מֶא בְּלֹ֣א בִצָּ֑ה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָ֥חוּ בְלִי־מָֽיִם׃ (יב) עֹדֶ֣נּוּ בְ֭אִבּוֹ לֹ֣א יִקָּטֵ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֖י כׇל־חָצִ֣יר יִיבָֽשׁ׃ (יג) כֵּ֗ן אׇ֭רְחוֹת כׇּל־שֹׁ֣כְחֵי אֵ֑ל וְתִקְוַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף תֹּאבֵֽד׃ (יד) אֲשֶׁר־יָק֥וֹט כִּסְל֑וֹ וּבֵ֥ית עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃ (טו) יִשָּׁעֵ֣ן עַל־בֵּ֭יתוֹ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֹ֑ד יַחֲזִ֥יק בּ֝֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א יָקֽוּם׃ (טז) רָטֹ֣ב ה֭וּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְעַ֥ל גַּ֝נָּת֗וֹ יֹנַקְתּ֥וֹ תֵצֵֽא׃ (יז) עַל־גַּ֭ל שׇׁרָשָׁ֣יו יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ בֵּ֖ית אֲבָנִ֣ים יֶחֱזֶֽה׃ (יח) אִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקֹמ֑וֹ וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃ (יט) הֶן־ה֭וּא מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וּ֝מֵעָפָ֗ר אַחֵ֥ר יִצְמָֽחוּ׃ (כ) הֶן־אֵ֭ל לֹ֣א יִמְאַס־תָּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִֽים׃ (כא) עַד־יְמַלֵּ֣ה שְׂח֣וֹק פִּ֑יךָ וּשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ תְרוּעָֽה׃ (כב) שֹׂנְאֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֹ֖הֶל רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ {פ}

Job 8:1-22

(1) Bildad the Shuhite said in reply:
(2) How long will you speak such things?
Your utterances are a mighty wind! (3) Will God pervert the right?
Will the Almighty pervert justice? (4) If your sons sinned against Him,
He dispatched them for their transgression. (5) But if you seek God
And supplicate the Almighty, (6) If you are blameless and upright,
He will protect you,
And grant well-being to your righteous home. (7) Though your beginning be small,
In the end you will grow very great.
(8) Ask the generation past,
Study what their fathers have searched out— (9) For we are of yesterday and know nothing;
Our days on earth are a shadow— (10) Surely they will teach you and tell you,
Speaking out of their understanding. (11) Can papyrus thrive without marsh?
Can rushes grow without water? (12) While still tender, not yet plucked,
They would wither before any other grass. (13) Such is the fate of all who forget God;
The hope of the impious man comes to naught— (14) Whose confidence is a thread of gossamer,^-a
Whose trust is a spider’s web. (15) He leans on his house—it will not stand;
He seizes hold of it, but it will not hold. (16) He stays fresh even in the sun;
His shoots spring up in his garden; (17) His roots are twined around a heap,
They take hold of a house of stones.^-a (18) When he is uprooted from his place,
It denies him, [saying,]
“I never saw you.” (19) Such is his happy lot;
And from the earth others will grow. (20) Surely God does not despise the blameless;
He gives no support to evildoers. (21) He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
And your lips with shouts of joy. (22) Your enemies will be clothed in disgrace;
The tent of the wicked will vanish.

ברכות ה׳ א:ט׳

אָמַר רָבָא, וְאִיתֵּימָא רַב חִסְדָּא: אִם רוֹאֶה אָדָם שֶׁיִּסּוּרִין בָּאִין עָלָיו — יְפַשְׁפֵּשׁ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד ה׳״. פִּשְׁפֵּשׁ וְלֹא מָצָא — יִתְלֶה בְּבִטּוּל תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר תְּיַסְּרֶנּוּ יָּהּ וּמִתּוֹרָתְךָ תְלַמְּדֶנּוּ״.

Berakhot 5a:9

Previously, the Gemara discussed suffering that results from one’s transgressions. The Gemara shifts the focus and discusses suffering that does not result from one’s transgressions and the suffering of the righteous. Rava, and some say Rav Ḥisda, said: If a person sees that suffering has befallen him, he should examine his actions. Generally, suffering comes about as punishment for one’s transgressions, as it is stated: “We will search and examine our ways, and return to God” (Lamentations 3:40). If he examined his ways and found no transgression for which that suffering is appropriate, he may attribute his suffering to dereliction in the study of Torah. God punishes an individual for dereliction in the study of Torah in order to emphasize the gravity of the issue, as it is stated: “Happy is the man whom You punish, Lord, and teach out of Your law” (Psalms 94:12). This verse teaches us that his suffering will cause him to return to Your law.

In these texts, some people blame the people for whom bad things happened to for what happened to them, whether it be through setting up a rickety ladder or having something within oneself that must be bad. People want to keep faith in a world where Hashem is righteous, but sometimes this leads people to blame the victim of a tragedy that they had nothing to do with. Other people, when seeing bad things happen to good people, blame Hashem. How do we toe the line between not blaming those to whom bad things happen, and not blaming Hashem, in a world where we are all looking for righteousness?

Night, Elie Wiesel

Behind me, I heard the same man asking:

"For God's sake, where is God?"

And from within me, I heard a voice answer:

"Where He is? This is where-- hanging here from this gallows..."

חגיגה ט״ו ב:י״א

בִּזְמַן שֶׁאָדָם מִצְטַעֵר שְׁכִינָה מָה לָשׁוֹן אוֹמֶרֶת קַלַּנִי מֵרֹאשִׁי קַלַּנִי מִזְּרוֹעִי אִם כָּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִצְטַעֵר עַל דָּמָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים קַל וָחוֹמֶר עַל דָּמָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים שֶׁנִּשְׁפַּךְ

Chagigah 15b:11

When a person suffers, e.g., by receiving lashes or the death penalty at the hands of the court, how does the Divine Presence express itself? Woe is Me from My head, woe is Me from My arm, as God empathizes with the sufferer. If the Holy One, Blessed be He, suffers to such an extent over the blood of the wicked, how much more so does He suffer over the blood of the righteous that is spilled.

ברכות ה׳ ב:י׳-י״ג

רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא חֲלַשׁ. עָל לְגַבֵּיהּ רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲבִיבִין עָלֶיךָ יִסּוּרִין? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לֹא הֵן וְלֹא שְׂכָרָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַב לִי יְדָךְ. יְהַב לֵיהּ יְדֵיהּ, וְאוֹקְמֵיהּ. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן חֲלַשׁ. עָל לְגַבֵּיהּ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲבִיבִין עָלֶיךָ יִסּוּרִין? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לֹא הֵן וְלֹא שְׂכָרָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַב לִי יְדָךְ. יְהַב לֵיהּ יְדֵיהּ, וְאוֹקְמֵיהּ. אַמַּאי, לוֹקִים רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ? אָמְרִי: אֵין חָבוּשׁ מַתִּיר עַצְמוֹ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים.

Berakhot 5b:10-13

The Gemara continues to address the issue of suffering and affliction: Rabbi Yoḥanan’s student, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, fell ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan entered to visit him, and said to him: Is your suffering dear to you? Do you desire to be ill and afflicted? Rabbi Ḥiyya said to him: I welcome neither this suffering nor its reward, as one who welcomes this suffering with love is rewarded. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Give me your hand. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba gave him his hand, and Rabbi Yoḥanan stood him up and restored him to health. Similarly, Rabbi Yoḥanan fell ill. Rabbi Ḥanina entered to visit him, and said to him: Is your suffering dear to you? Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: I welcome neither this suffering nor its reward. Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand, and Rabbi Ḥanina stood him up and restored him to health. The Gemara asks: Why did Rabbi Yoḥanan wait for Rabbi Ḥanina to restore him to health? If he was able to heal his student, let Rabbi Yoḥanan stand himself up. The Gemara answers, they say: A prisoner cannot generally free himself from prison, but depends on others to release him from his shackles.

How does the idea of a G-d that suffers alongside us impact our ability to cope with horrible things that might happen to us?

What responsibility do we have to help the suffering of others?

Interview with Elie Wiesel

MR. WIESEL: I changed. I changed, meaning not in depth, not in volume. Some people who read my first book, Night, they were convinced that I broke with the faith and broke with God. Not at all. I never divorced God. It is because I believed in God that I was angry at God, and still am. But my faith is tested, wounded, but it’s here. So whatever I say, it’s always from inside faith, even when I speak the way occasionally I do about the problems I had, questions I had. Within my traditions, you know, it is permitted to question God, even to take Him to task.

MS. TIPPETT:Quarrelling with God.

MR. WIESEL:Yeah, we may. It’s even more than that, you know. It is suing God. The expression is really “suing God.”

MS. TIPPETT:That’s the expression in the Hebrew?

MR. WIESEL:Hebrew, yeah. I sue God because in Hebrew, (speaking Hebrew), I bring him to rabbinic tribunal. And the arguments are all the arguments I take from the Bible and from his words. I mean, I take God’s words and say, since You said these words, how is it possible that other things or certain things have happened?

MS. TIPPETT:It’s because you take God so seriously that you ask.

How can having a relationship that allows us to question G-d change our relationship to G-d?