Why There Is Suffering
Bereishit Rabbah 92:1
讜讗诇 砖讚讬 讬转谉 诇讻诐 专讞诪讬诐, . . . 讗诪专 诇讬讛 专讘讬 讗诇讻住谞讚专讬 讗讬谉 诇讱 讗讚诐 讘诇讗 讬住讜专讬诐 . . . 讗”专 讬讛讜砖注 讘谉 诇讜讬 讻诇 讬住讜专讬诐 砖讛诐 讘讗讬诐 注诇 讛讗讚诐 讜诪讘讟诇讬谉 讗讜转讜 诪讚讘专讬 转讜专讛 讬住讜专讬诐 砖诇 转讜讻讞转 讛诐 讗讘诇 讬住讜专讬诐 砖讛诐 讘讗讬诐 注诇 讛讗讚诐 讜讗讬谉 诪讘讟诇讬谉 讗讜转讜 诪讚讘专讬 转讜专讛 讬住讜专讬诐 砖诇 讗讛讘讛 讛谉 ,讻讚讻转讬讘 (诪砖诇讬 讙) 讻讬 讗转 讗砖专 讬讗讛讘 讛’ 讬讜讻讬讞
“May God grant you mercy . . . ” Rabbi Alexandri would say, “There is no person who does not experience suffering . . . Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi would say, “Suffering that prevents one from words of Torah, this is considered sufferings of rebuke, but suffering that does not prevent one from words of Torah, this is suffering of love, as it is written, “For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes.” (Proverbs 3:12)
Who among us has not experienced suffering? After all, loss, sadness, and struggle are as much a part of life as joy, happiness, and triumph. This is as apparent in the emotional arc of Joseph and his family in this week’s parashah as it is in life’s experience. As Rabbi Alexandri says in the above midrash, “There is no person who does not experience suffering.”
But how are we to understand suffering? The midrash presents two possible approaches. If our suffering prevents one from engaging in Torah, from engaging in the world, then this suffering is due to a personal failing, due to sin. If, however, our suffering does not prevent us from Torah, from engaging in the world, then the suffering is an expression of God’s love for us. The midrash divides suffering into two neat categories: suffering caused by sin and suffering without cause that serves (possibly euphemistically) as a form of Divine love.
But the verse this midrash is based on provides an additional approach to suffering. Read in context, Genesis 43:14 is translated, “And may El Shaddai dispose the man to mercy toward you . . .” The verse is not about God bestowing mercy on people, but a wish from Jacob that the powerful magistrate in Egypt, who has kidnapped Simeon and demands Jacob’s favored son, Benjamin, will act with mercy. The magistrate, who is Joseph in disguise, is in turn suffering his own emotional turmoil brought about by the chance encounter with his brothers who sold him into slavery. Read in this context, the mercy described in Genesis 43:14, the mercy that is able to help dull the pain of suffering, does not come from God but finds its source in humanity. That there is suffering in the world, whether suffering with cause or without cause, is a fact we have little control over. What we do have control over is our reaction to that suffering. The hidden message of this midrash is a suggestion that we strive to embody Jacob’s wish, that we ask God to help dispose us to mercy鈥攎ercy toward community, family, and, most importantly, toward ourselves.
