וְעֵינֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כָּֽבְד֣וּ מִזֹּ֔קֶן לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְא֑וֹת Yaakov was no longer able to see." [VaYechi 48:10]
Chazal tell us various reasons why Yitzchok became blind. but why did Yaakov become blind?
Rav Shlomo Zalman Zelaznik Ztz"l. the Rosh Yeshiva of Eitz Chaim. explained with the principle that if someone suffers on your account, you are punished, even if you have done nothing wrong. In Yaakov's case we find two people whose eyes suffered on account of him. The first was Yitzchok. who Chazal say became blind so that Yaakov would be able to fool him and take the blessings. The second is Leah. whose eyes were swollen because she was destined to marry Eisav. while Rochel was supposed to marry Yaakov.
"Either of these two occurrences," says Rav Zelaznik, "were enough cause to warrant Yaakov losing his eyesight despite his complete innocence of any wrongdoing. If such is the Midas HaDin when we are completely innocent of any wrongdoing, certainly, if we actually play a part in the suffering of another person, we are in huge trouble."
Source: Revach.net
Source: Revach.net
12 comments:
Read the article, and it has made scared me.
Does this apply to all human beings, or only to Jews?
And if too all, then as noahide, i now understand the constant turbulence in my life, that seems to never end.
I feel doomed.
Then i am lost forever. Because i have caused pain to others many times... and though apologized and repented and apologized over again and repented and prayed over and over again..
Well i do not do that anymore,i.e. hurting anyone, but whatever and whenever i try doing good, it just seems to push me down again and again. Wonder if Gd has cast me aside..
Not looking for sympathy, but if anyone has some advice for this noahide, i would appreciate. Thank you ..
Just so tired now..
Losing hope losing strength.
nonee
Nonee I very much doubt that you have caused suffering on a level you seem to imagine. Everyone on this planet is given an amount of suffering, you and I and everyone else. It is meted out by Hashem and these days a lot of people are hurting because things are coming to an end and events are catching up with us. Please do not lose strength or be depressed, especially from anything written here. We are nearly at the end of days, stay strong and wait for Moshiach. Hashem only punishes those He loves, if you see someone who has never suffered you should actually feel sorry for them. I hope everything works out better for you than it seems to be right now. I know your real name and I will pray for you.
Rabbi Anava just posted this: ''In the coming redemption EVERYONE has to take part in order to be included, Jews and nonJews alike''.
And also see this from Rabbi Y. Ginsburgh
https://www.inner.org/responsa/what-to-do-when-troubles-abound
To Nonee: When Adam & Eve sinned with eating from the Tree of Knowledge, sin came into the world and with that, came suffering. There isn't a human being on earth who did not or does not suffer. Guess, this is part of H's Plans for all individuals to do teshuvah and repent. It might be something they even inadvertently might have done or hurt someone's feeling without knowing. We are not personally accountable for every little thing or we would all wind up in insane asylums, worrying what did I do today and the anguish of feeling one has to apologize for every word, movement, etc. H' just puts obstacles in our way and we have to try and deal with it the best we can, as we are all different and deal with things differently. Feeling guilt needlessly will turn anyone into a basket case and that is not what H' wants, c'v. Also when we speak of the Patriarchs & Matriarchs, we are speaking of people who were on a level that we cannot even understand. We do not know how H' judges us and for what, because only He knows what's in our hearts and minds. All we need to do is try our best. Hopefully, Moshiach will be here in a blink of an eye and we will enter a world where these burdens will no longer exist.
Wondering about the great great grandson of Dan/Jacob's son... Sampson? When his eyes were plucked out,,,, did this or ... could this... have been attributed to Jacob... or possibly Dan, somehow???
Quoting this from CHabad: The Talmud teaches that Samson was punished in his eyes because he looked at the Philistine women and desired them. Although G‑d desired that he marry them, nevertheless, his personal motives were not entirely pure, as he also desired them for himself.[Sotah 9b]
Nonee, As my rav says, don't look at it as punishment. Hashem loves you and just maybe He wants you to experience what you need to experience as a tikkun(a teshuvah) to be clean in order that when Moshiach comes you won't have to suffer or to work on these things. When Moshiach comes we can't work on these things (unless we have started the process of working on our character traits then Hashem let's us complete them.
Rabbi Benjamin Blech has a phenomenal answer that I love. He says, "Why can't we just say I don't know?"
Either way, Hashem is not done with you. He loves you and wants you to continue to try. If He didn't love you and want you to succeed, He would be done with you.
Also, if you have apologized once, then be done with it. Move on and move forward. It is healthy to do this rather than to apologize so many times for the same thing done to the same person. Healthier to move forward and to speak to Hashem to help you to move forward and when the thoughts to keep apologizing or stay stuck in that way of thinking come to you , get up and do something different- something more productive.'
Sorry to be long winded. My father was a Noach and so my thoughts and heart goes out to you.
Hatzlachah!!!!
Dear Devorah, and Anonymous at 10.03 a.m, and Leah, i was so touched by each of you, and your kindness and encouragement, that i cried.
But they were not tears of defeat,rather like tears of relief. Like taking a fresh breath, and feeling strength pouring in again.
I don't explain well, forgive me. I am just touched and deeply grateful to each of you. Thank you for giving me a boost to look up and stride forward again...
I know too,and am aware that there are many who are going through lots of ups and downs. Especially the Chosen. May Mashiach come soon.
Will hold on, Hashem willing. Devorah to you i am always as ever indebted.
Hashem bless each of you and yours, and All of Am Israel, and also please Hashem, all good peoples of the world. Amen v'Amen.
Devorah will go hear what Rabbi Y. Ginsburgh, said. Hashem bless you.
Hashem bless each of you, i am truly grateful to all of you.
nonee
Devorah, where's the link to what Rabbi Anava posted?
It was posted on his FB page https://www.facebook.com/AnavaAlon/ approx 12 hours ago with a short video.
thanks, any chance you remember the title of the video- I went to FB and couldn't figure out which video it was. If you don't remember offhand no worries, thank you for your wonderful work.
Video didn't have a title, but that sentence about Jews and nonJews was typed above it.
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