ערב שב"ק פרשת

By Rabbi Eli Meyer Smith Shlit”a שנת תשפ"א « Rosh Hakollel of Bais Ulfana Lehoroa «Email [email protected]

בס"ד If a Person Would Recognize How Much He Benefits From Suffering, He Would

Thank Hashem For Every Second of Pain!

›› How Does Suffering Erase One’s Sins? who compares suffering to a slave being struck in the eye or tooth, one only benefits from suffering if they come The verse states (Vayikrah 2:13): “And you shall salt directly from Hashem, and not if they come through one every one of your meal offering sacrifices with salt, and of His messengers. you shall not omit the salt of Hashem’s covenant from He says that according to this, we can understand upon your meal offerings. You shall offer salt on all your Hashem’s words to Moshe (Shemos 6:5): “And I also sacrifices.” heard the groans of bnei Yisroel because the Egyptians The Gemara (Brachos 5A) speaks about the benefit of enslaved them, and I remembered My covenant.” He says suffering that are accepted with love and says that all that since the suffering came through the Egyptians, they types of suffering, both those that prevent one from were not sufficient reason according to Rav Yochanan to learning and those that do not, are sent out of provide salvation for Klal Yisroel, because these suffering Hashem’s love. There is a dispute in the Gemara as to how came through a messenger and not directly from we know this. Rav Yochanon says we learn this from the Hashem. However, Hashem then says that he law that a slave goes free if his master knocks out his eye remembered the “bris”, a reference to Reish Lakish’s or tooth. He says that if someone goes free when one explanation that sufferings are compared to the bris of part of his body is harmed it is certain that he merits salt. Once this explanation was recalled, the nation was freedom and salvation if his entire body suffers. able to be redeemed even though the suffering came through a messenger. Rav Shimon ben Lakish says that we learn this from the salt brought together with the korbanos. (The word I once heard a different explanation of the difference “bris” is stated both by the salt and by suffering as an between Rav Yochanon and Reish Lakish, from Rav indication that they should be compared to each other.) Yaakov Galinsky zt”l. He explains that a difference may He says that just like salt sweetens meat, so too suffering be if someone is struck with sufferings, but instead of “sweetens” one’s sins. accepting that they were sent to him from Hashem chooses to believe that his illness is a “natural” physical Rav Shimshon of Ostorpolier zt”l explains the ailment. difference between Rav Yochanon and Reish Lakish by saying that salt has a natural ability to sweeten meat. It He says that according to Rav Yochanon, such makes no difference who is doing the salting – whether it suffering will be of no benefit. As we said, a slave only is the owner of the meat or someone else. The law that a goes free if his owner strikes him on the eye or tooth, but slave goes free when he is struck in the eye or tooth, not if someone else does. So too, suffering are only of however, only applies to the owner. If someone else benefit to the individual if he believes that Hashem is his would knock out a slave’s eye, he would not gain his master and He is hitting him to cleanse him of his sins and freedom. bring him to repent. If he refuses to accept that the suffering was sent by Hashem, he is akin to someone who Thus, according to Reish Lakish, who compares has no master, and his suffering is not considered to have suffering to the salting of meat, whether one receives his come from his “owner”. Therefore, they will suffering at the hand of his “owner” – be of no benefit to him.

Hashem Yisborach – or at the hands of one

of His messengers, it makes no difference. Reish Lakish, however, compares He will have the benefit of the suffering in suffering to salt. As we said, any salt can any case. But according to Rav Yochanon, sweeten meat. It makes no difference whose

} א { salt is used. So too, any suffering can cleanse a person of rebuke, in (28), which hints at all the suffering his sins, even if he fails to accept where they come from our nation would undergo during the course of the exile or why they were sent. ends with Moshe Rabenu saying: “These are the words of the bris.” This was meant as a comfort to us. Moshe was ›› Should One Want a Lot of Suffering or Only a telling us that suffering is learned from the bris of salt, Little? and will never be sent in abundance. Although they will set us free, in the same way being struck in the eye sets a In this vein, the Divrei Yoel (Parshas Ki Savo) explains slave free, they will be like salt in that they will only be the words of a Medrash. used in moderation. The verse states (Shemos 1:13): “And the Egyptians worked bnei Yisroel with ‘parech’, hard labor.” The ›› Hashem’s Greatness And Compassion Is Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 1:11) brings two Revealed To Us Through Suffering! opinions regarding the meaning of the Rav Shimshon Pinkus zt”l (Tiferes word “parech.” One explanation is that it Shimshon) notes that refer to means that the Egyptians treated the Jew ... Two suffering as a “bris’, as they are like a with a “peh rach”, soft mouth. The other covenant that binds Klal Yisroel to explanation is that it means “prichah”, dressed in black Hashem. He says that this concept has hard work that shatters the body. appeared at his numerous connotations. Divrei Yoel cites the The One way to understand this is that aforementioned disagreement about side and began when one lives an easy and good life and suffering between Rav Yochanon and dragging him lacks nothing, he may fail to recognize that Reish Lakish and states another difference Hashem is taking care of him. Only when between the two. He explains that if one away. As he was one is missing something does he realize learns like Reish Lakish, that suffering is led away, he that Hashem was taking care of him all this comparable to salt, it can be said that it time. Therefore, suffering is something only is effective in moderate amounts. Salt cried out, that connects a person to Hashem in the sweetens meat if a bit is sprinkled on, but sense that when one feels a bit of pain, he if a lot of salt is used it will ruin the meat. “Master of the comes to recognize all that Hashem has So too, suffering is effective to help a world! Couldn’t given him and all that he has. person if he receives it in moderation; however, if one receives an abundance of You have given Rav Pinkus stresses that when suffering, it will only harm him and will not someone has a headache, he should know be of benefit. me a bit more that Hashem gave him this headache because He loves him and wants him to according to Rav suffering?!” He However, appreciate the very fact that he has a head Yochanon’s explanation – that we learn suddenly awoke equipped with eyes, ears and a mouth, as that if a slave goes free when he is struck and found well as a livelihood, family and otherwise in one spot, it is certain that a person who good health. Therefore, this is a very suffers in his whole body will “go free” himself in Rav auspicious time to express gratitude to from his sins – this is certainly true if he Hashem. suffers a lot. The more suffering one Sharabi’s study. receives, the more it is obvious that he will With this in mind, he explains the verse benefit form them and he will be cleansed Rav Sharabi in Tehilim (9:1): “To the conductor, upon from his sins. asked him… the death of a son, a song of Dovid.” Some say that Dovid composed this song of adds that the two opinions in the He praise when one of his sons died. When Medrash are based on this disagreement. one of Dovid’s sons died suddenly, he The opinion that the Jews were tortured recognized that life of a child is not certain; rather, even a with backbreaking pain that broke their bodies agrees child can die without warning. This led him to become with Rav Yochanon that an abundance of suffering is grateful of the fact that he was alive and that he had living beneficial to a person. Therefore, he learns that the Jews children. He accepted Hashem’s kindness, which led him were sent indescribable pain and suffering. The opinion to sing a song of praise to Him. that they were treated with a “soft mouth” holds that one only benefits from a little suffering, and not from an ›› How Can One Rejoice During a Time of overabundance. Therefore, he learns that the suffering Suffering? was in moderation. Sefer Toldos Harashbaz (Chelek Bais, page 44) brings The Divrei Yoel adds that this is why the tochacha, an amazing story that depicts the value of suffering: } ב { A student of the great Mekubel Rav Sholom Sharabi our main concern. Rather, we should realize that the once approached him and said, “Rabenu, I am the father suffering is freeing us from our sins. If not for the of a large family and we are all suffering terribly from suffering, we would be in a much worse situation, as we hunger. We can’t take it anymore!” Rav Sharabi told him, would have to suffer much more in the World to Come to “Sit down for a while, and I will see how I can help you.” atone for our sins. Thus, we should be happy that Hashem The student sat down, and immediately fell into a sent us the suffering to free us and save us from a much slumber. worse fate. He dreamt that he had died and he was watching his Therefore, one must accept the fact that even if he own funeral. The mourners buried him and left, leaving has to go through much suffering and torment, he should him alone. Finally, an appeared and told him to not become sad or depressed. He should recognize that come with him. They traveled for a very long time, this is truly the best possible thing for him. He should passing by many places the likes of which he had never rejoice with his suffering, knowing that they come from seen before. He walked for so long that he felt he could Hashem out of His great kindness and desire to help us. no longer go on. He should realize that this small amount of pain in this world is saving him from much more pain in the World to , they arrived at last at a place called “Mishkol”, Finally Come. where he saw a huge scale. One side of the scale was weighed down by huge bags. “Those are all the sins you On the contrary, he should thank Hashem for allowing did in your lifetime,” the angel told him. “Where are my him to suffice with such a small modicum of suffering mitzvos?” he asked.” “They are on the way,” he was told. instead of a much worse fate. The Gemara says (Eruchin An angel then appeared and threw a small sack on the 16B) that if one reaches into his pocket to take out one other side of the scale. It was so small that it didn’t even coin and ends up taking out a different coin, it is budge the scale. He now grew very frightened and considered suffering and it atones for his sins and saves concerned about his fate. him from suffering in Gehenim. Thus, one should realize that every drop of pain is beneficial to him. If one has a , with much fanfare, a large caravan of Suddenly financial loss, he should be thankful that he did not suffer wagons arrived, loaded down with heavy sacks. “Those physically or that his children were not made to endure are the yissurim you suffered from in your life,” he was suffering. told. The sacks of yissurim were placed next to the bag of mitzvos, and began to weigh down the scale in his favor. The Chofetz Chaim would constantly tell people to Finally, the entire wagon was unloaded, but the aveirah appreciate the benefit of suffering. He would often quote side was still winning. His fate was sealed and he was the Vilna Gaon as saying that “if not for suffering, we sentenced to Gehenim. wouldn’t be able to find our hands and feet on the day of judgment.” Two angels dressed in black appeared at his side and began dragging him away. As he was led away, he cried He would cite the verse (Tehilim 32:10): “There are out, “Master of the world! Couldn’t You have given me a many sufferings for a wicked man, but one who trusts in bit more suffering?!” Hashem is surrounded by kindness”, and explains as follows: In the old days, stomachaches were treated with suddenly awoke and found himself in Rav Sharabi’s He very bitter-tasting medicines. The sick person was willing study. Rav Sharabi asked him, “Why are you screaming? to bear the taste of the awful medicine as long as it cured What can I do for you?” The student replied, “I have his stomach pains. As medicine progressed, however, nothing to ask for.” He then related his dream to his doctors were able to make it easier on the patient by teacher and said that he now understands everything. creating medicines in pill form. The bitter formula could This adds another dimension to the comparison be wrapped in a pill, which one can swallow without between suffering and a slave being struck in the eye or having to endure the bitter taste. tooth. If someone is struck by someone else, and certainly The same is true of human suffering. “There are many if he is hit so hard that he loses an eye or a tooth, he would sufferings for a wicked man.” When a rasha is punished, certainly be furious at the one who hit him. If he were a he has to suffer the full effect of the pain. person with a temper, he would probably want revenge. But if he were a slave who gains his freedom by being However, when a tzadik who trusts in Hashem is struck, he would also be happy about what happened. punished, he is surrounded by kindness because the Even though the slap hurts, and even though he lost a suffering is wrapped up for him in a little pill, which is easy tooth, he gained his freedom. He would certainly consider to swallow without tasting any bitterness, because he it a good deal. knows that the suffering come from Hashem’s kindness in order to erase his sins while he is still on this world and is how one should feel when he is struck with This he will be fully meritorious when he comes to the next suffering. When our Master sends us a painful blow, we world. should not focus on the pain we feel. This should not be } ג {