Rav Isaac Sher - The Beauty of Suffering and the Torment of Gehinom
Chazal tell us the a lifetime of suffering in this world is less painful than even a moment in Gehinom. How can we compare suffering in a physical world to the suffering in a spiritual world, it is not a real comparison. Are we really comparing degrees of heat?
Rav Isaac Sher explains that there is a big difference between suffering in this world and suffering in the next world. Gehinom he says merely cleanses you of your aveiros [sins]. Once you are clean however, you are the same person you were before, only without the stains of your misdeeds. You are on the same low level.
Not so with suffering in this world. Through our suffering we grow and can reach new heights. We contemplate our pain and open new vistas of understanding of Hashem and our purpose in the world. Each step of our purification brings us closer to Hashem in ways we would have been unable to without the pain.
Maybe this resolves our question. While suffering in the next world is a punishment for our sins, suffering in this world is an opportunity for advancement. Therefore all the pain in this world which is steeped with opportunity cannot be compared to even a single moment of the hopeless of Gehinom.
Rav Chaim Zaitchek - The Nes of Passing a Nisayon
[The miracle of passing a trial]
What defines a miracle? Everything in this world is controlled by Hashem. There is no difference between Hashem's ability to make plants grow or split the sea. What differentiates the two? The answer is that Hashem created a natural order in the world to allow people to believe that Hashem does not exist. An event that breaks the rules is called a miracle. It is Hashem showing us a glimpse of His total control.
Nature is called Teva from the word Tava or drowning. The everyday miracles that Hashem performs in nature and to us individually are drowned beneath the surface, and out of our field of view unless we use our mind to perceive them. The word for a miracle is Nes. Nes means a flagpole. It is an event that stands out in plain view for all to see, unless one chooses to look the other way.
On a similar note the world was created to challenged us to choose good. The word for these challenges is Nisayon. Nisayon has the word Nes in it. What is the connection? The answer says Rav Chaim Zaitchek, is that we all are born with great potential for good. Our challenge is to dig deep down and use these abilities. We are tested as a means to bring this potential out into the world. A Nisayon is an opportunity to show ourselves, Hashem, and the universe the good buried within us. By passing a Nisayon we have created a Nes!
Source: Revach
3 comments:
Rav Isaac Sher has a very high soul. If I didn't think otherwise I would almost think I was reading from a rishon or early acharon.
The word nisayon has the word nes. It also has the word yavan. We need to get rid of the element in us that is "yavan"-that subscribes everything to nature and we must realize that all is from Hashem and what we are left with is the word nes.
Devorah, look around at the extreme weather. Science has no clue what is happening. Get Australians together and contact Nefesh b Nefesh to start a group in Australia. True Austraalia is a large island but it is a island. Look at all the extreme weather it has been under lately. It is a wake up call to get out. It is very hard but I know you and other Jews there can make it. Contact the founder of NefeshbNefesh at info@holylandmoments.org.
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