R. Hiya discoursed on the text: Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity. For the workof man will he requite unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways (Job 34, 10-11). ‘God,’ he said, ‘in creating the world, meant it to be based on justice, and all that is done in the world would be weighed in the scales of justice, were it not that, to save the world from perishing, God screened it with mercy, which tempers pure justice and prevents it from destroying the world. The world is thus governed in mercy and thereby is able to endure.
But, you may ask, is not a man often punished by God undeservedly? The answer is, as has been affirmed, that when suffering befalls a righteous man, it is on account of the love which God bears to him. He crushes his body in order to give more power to his soul, so that He may draw him nearer in love.
For it is needful that the body should be weak and the soul strong, that so a man may be beloved of God, as the Companions have affirmed, that the Holy One inflicts suffering on the righteous in this world in order that they may merit the world to come.
But he who is weak of soul and strong of body is hated of God. It is because God has no pleasure in him that He inflicts no pain upon him in this world, but permits his life to flow smoothly along with ease and comfort, in that for any virtuous act he may perform he receives his reward in this world, so that no portion should be left him in the next world. This is in accordance with Onkelos’s paraphrase of the text: “And he repayeth them that hate him to their face” (Deut. 7, 10), which reads: “And he repayeth them that hate him in this world.” The righteous man, then, who is continually broken in body is the beloved of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Now various difficulties are raised by this statement. In the first place we know that the Shekinah does not dwell amid sad surroundings, but only where there is cheerfulness. For this reason Elisha said: “But now bring me a minstrel, and so it came to pass that when the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord came upon him” (II Kings 3, 15), and we learn the same lesson from Jacob, from whom the Shekinah departed during the years that he was grieving for Joseph, but to whom it returned as soon as the glad tidings about Joseph reached him, when, as it says, “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” (Gen. 45, 27). That being so, where, we may ask, is the cheerful spirit in the righteous man who is broken in body, seeing that he is tormented by his sufferings?
And further, do we not know of many righteous men, beloved by the Almighty, who were never a prey to acute suffering or physical weakness? Why this discrimination? Why should these be physical wrecks and the others hale and hearty?
One explanation given is that the latter were born of righteous parents, whereas the former, although themselves righteous, were not children of righteous parents. But the facts are against this, since we see many righteous men who are the sons of righteous parents, and who nevertheless are afflicted with bodily ills and are lifelong sufferers.
But there is a deep mystery involved here, inasmuch as all the ways of God are based on truth and righteousness. In connection with this verse I have found in the books of the ancients a mystical doctrine, and next to it another mystical doctrine, both being in essence one and the same. It amounts to the following. There is a period when the moon is defective, judgement being visited upon her, and the sun being concealed from her. Now it is the moon that at all times and seasons releases souls to enter the sons of men-she having previously gathered them for the purpose. Of those souls, then, which she releases during the period that she is under sentence, every one will always be the victim of degradation and poverty and suffer other chastisements, irrespective of whether he be sinful or righteous. (Prayer, however, can avert any sentence of punishment.)
But those souls which the moon sends forth when she is in the grade of completeness, and the perennially flowing stream plays about her, are destined to enjoy abundance of all good things-of riches, children, and bodily health-
and all on account of the allotment (mazzal) that flowed forth and joined itself to that grade in order to be perfected and blessed by it. We see thus that all things are dependent on allotment (mazzal), according to the dictum: “Children, life, and livelihood do not depend on a man’s merits, but on mazzal.״
Hence all those who are sorely afflicted in this world in spite of being truly righteous suffer through the mischance of their soul; but in compensation the Holy One, blessed be He, has compassion on them in the world to come.’
R. Eleazar said: ‘All the acts of the Almighty are in accordance with justice, and His purpose is to purify that soul from the scum that adheres to it in this world, so as to bring it into the world to come. When the body is crushed the soul is purified, and so God brings pains and sufferings on the righteous man in this world in order that he may gain life everlasting. In this regard it is written: “The Lord trieth the righteous, etc.” (Ps. 11, 5).’
רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (איוב לה) לָכֵן אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב שִׁמְעוּ לִי חָלִלָה לָאֵל מֵרְשַׁע וְשַׁדַּי מֵעָוֶל. כִּי פֹעַל אָדָם יְשַׁלֶּם לוֹ וּכְאֹרַח אִישׁ יַמְצִאֶנּוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַלְמָא, עֲבַד לֵיהּ עַל דִּינָא, וְעַל דִּינָא אִתְקַיַּים. וְכָל עוֹבָדִין דְּעַלְמָא אִינוּן קָיְימִין בְּדִינָא. בַּר דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִין לְקַיְימָא עַלְמָא וְלָא יִתְאֲבִיד, פָּרִישׂ עֲלֵיהּ רַחֲמֵי, וְאִינוּן רַחֲמֵי מְעַכְּבֵי לְדִינָא דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּצֵי עַלְמָא, וְעַל רַחֲמֵי אִתְנַהִיג עַלְמָא וְאִתְקְיַּים בְּגִינִיהּ.
R. Hiya discoursed on the text: Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity. For the work of man will he requite unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways (Job 34, 10-11). ‘God,’ he said, ‘in creating the world, meant it to be based on justice, and all that is done in the world would be weighed in the scales of justice, were it not that, to save the world from perishing, God screened it with mercy, which tempers pure justice and prevents it from destroying the world. The world is thus governed in mercy and thereby is able to endure.
וְאִי תֵימָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד דִּינָא בְּבַר נָשׁ בְּלָא דִינָא. הָא אִתְּמָר, דְּכַד דִּינָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ כַּד אִיהוּ זַכָּאָה. בְּגִין רְחִימוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בֵּיהּ אִיהִי, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָחִים עֲלֵיהּ בִּרְחִימוּ לְקָרְבָא לֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, מְתַבַּר גּוּפָא בְּגִין לְשַׁלְטָאָה נִשְׁמָתָא, וּכְדֵין אִתְקְרִיב בַּר נָשׁ לְגַבֵּיהּ בִּרְחִימוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וְנִשְׁמָתָא שָׁלְטָא וְגוּפָא אִתְחַלָּשׁ.
But, you may ask, is not a man often punished by God undeservedly? The answer is, as has been affirmed, that when suffering befalls a righteous man, it is on account of the love which God bears to him. He crushes his body in order to give more power to his soul, so that He may draw him nearer in love.
וּבַעְיָא גּוּפָא חוּלְשָׁא וְנַפְשָׁא תַּקִּיפָא דְּאִתְתַּקַּף בִּתְקִיפוּ, וּכְדֵין אִיהוּ רְחִימָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. כְּמָה דַאֲמְרוּ חַבְרַיָיא, יָהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לַצַּדִּיק צַעֲרָא בְּעַלְמָא דֵין, בְּגִין לְמִזְכֵּי לֵיהּ לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי.
For it is needful that the body should be weak and the soul strong, that so a man may be beloved of God, as the Companions have affirmed, that the Holy One inflicts suffering on the righteous in this world in order that they may merit the world to come.
וְכַד נִשְׁמָתָא חָלְשָׁא וְגוּפָא תַקִיפָא, אִיהוּ שָׂנְאֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּלָא אִתְרָעֵי בֵּיהּ, לָא יָהִיב לֵיהּ צַעֲרָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא אֶלָּא אוֹרְחוֹי מִתְתַּקְנָן וְהוּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ יַתִּיר. בְּגִין דְּאִי עָבַד צְדָקָה אוֹ טִיבוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְשַׁלֵּם לֵיהּ אַגְרֵיהּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וְלָא יֶהֱוֵי לֵיהּ חוּלַק בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא. וְדָא הוּא דְּתִרְגֵּם אוּנְקְלוּס (דברים ז׳:י׳) וּמְשַׁלֵּם לְשׂוֹנְאָיו וְגו', וּמְשַׁלֵּם לְשַׂנְאוֹהִי טַבְוָון דְּאִינוּן וְגו' (איהו). וּבְגִין כָּךְ הַהוּא זַכָּאָה דְּאִתְבַּר תָּדִיר אִיהוּ רְחִימָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהַנֵּי מִילֵי כַּד בָּדַק וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח חוֹבָא בִּידֵיהּ דְּאִתְעַנַּשׁ עֲלֵיהּ.
But he who is weak of soul and strong of body is hated of God. It is because God has no pleasure in him that He inflicts no pain upon him in this world, but permits his life to flow smoothly along with ease and comfort, in that for any virtuous act he may perform he receives his reward in this world, so that no portion should be left him in the next world. This is in accordance with Onkelos’s paraphrase of the text: “And he repayeth them that hate him to their face” (Deut. 7, 10), which reads: “And he repayeth them that hate him in this world.” The righteous man, then, who is continually broken in body is the beloved of the Holy One, blessed be He.
הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּכַמָּה סִטְרִין. חַד, דְּהָא חָמִינָן דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּאֲתַר עֲצִיבוּ אֶלָּא בְּאֲתַר דְּאִית בֵּיהּ חֶדְוָה. אִי חֶדְוָה לֵית בֵּיהּ, לָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (מלכים ב ג׳:ט״ו) וְעַתָּה קְחוּ לִי מְנַגֵּן וְהָיָה כְנַגֵּן הַמְנַגֵּן וַתְּהִי עָלָיו (יד יי) רוּחַ אֱלהִים, דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא וַדַּאי לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּאֲתַר עֲצִיבוּ. מְנָלָן מִיַּעֲקֹב. דִּבְגִין דְּהֲוָה עָצִיב עֲלֵיהּ דְּיוֹסֵף אִסְתַּלְקַת שְׁכִינְתָּא מִנֵּיהּ, כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא לֵיהּ חֶדְוָה דִּבְשׂוֹרָה דְיוֹסֵף מִיָּד וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם. הָכָא בְּהַאי זַכָּאָה דְּאִתָּבַר כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ חֲלָשָׁא וְאִתָּבַר בְּמַכְאוֹבִין, אָן הוּא חֶדְוָה דְּהָא אִיהוּ בַּעֲצִיבוּ וְלֵית עִמֵּיהּ חֶדְוָה כְּלָל.
Now various difficulties are raised by this statement. In the first place we know that the Shekinah does not dwell amid sad surroundings, but only where there is cheerfulness. For this reason Elisha said: “But now bring me a minstrel, and so it came to pass that when the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord came upon him” (II Kings 3, 15), and we learn the same lesson from Jacob, from whom the Shekinah departed during the years that he was grieving for Joseph, but to whom it returned as soon as the glad tidings about Joseph reached him, when, as it says, “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” (Gen. 45, 27). That being so, where, we may ask, is the cheerful spirit in the righteous man who is broken in body, seeing that he is tormented by his sufferings?
וְחַד דְּהָא חָמִינָן כַּמָּה רְחִימִין הֲווּ צַדִּיקַיָא קַמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְלָא אִתָּבְרוּ בְּמַרְעִין וְלָא בְּמַכְאוֹבִין וְלָא אִתְחַלַּשׁ גּוּפָא דִלְהוֹן לְעָלְמִין. אַמַּאי לָאו אִלֵּין כְּאִלֵּין, דְּאִלֵּין אִתָּבְרוּ וְאִלֵּין קָיְימֵי בְּגוּפַיְיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
And further, do we not know of many righteous men, beloved by the Almighty, who were never a prey to acute suffering or physical weakness? Why this discrimination? Why should these be physical wrecks and the others hale and hearty?
וְאִם תֹּאמַר דְּהָא אִלֵּין דְּקָיְימוּ בְּקִיּוּמָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן צַדִּיקֵי בְּנֵי צַדִּיקֵי אִינְהוּ, כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהָ. וְאִלֵּין אָחֳרָנִין צַדִּיקֵי וְלָאו בְּנִי צַדִּיקֵי, הָא קָא חָמֵינָן צַדִּיקֵי בְּנֵי צַדִּיקֵי, דְּהָא אֲבוֹי דְּדֵין זַכָּאָה בַּר זַכָּאָה, וְאִיהוּ זַכָּאָה. אַמַּאי אִתָּבַר גּוּפֵיהּ בְּמַכְאוֹבִין וְכָל יוֹמוֹי בְּצַעֲרָא.
One explanation given is that the latter were born of righteous parents, whereas the former, although themselves righteous, were not children of righteous parents. But the facts are against this, since we see many righteous men who are the sons of righteous parents, and who nevertheless are afflicted with bodily ills and are lifelong sufferers.
אֶלָּא הָכָא רָזָא אִיהוּ, דְּהָא כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּקְשׁוֹט וּזְכוּ (איוב לה) כִּי פֹעַל אָדָם יְשַׁלֶּם לוֹ וּכְאֹרַח אִישׁ יַמְצִיאֶנּוּ. אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרֵי קַדְמָאֵי רָזָא חָדָא, וּלְגַבֵּיהּ רָזָא אָחֳרָא חַד דְּאִיהוּ תְּרֵין, דְּהָא אִית זִמְנִין דְּסִיהֲרָא אִיהִי בִּפְגִימוּ וְשַׁרְיָא בְּדִינָא וְשִׁמְשָׁא לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח גַּבָּה. וּבְכָל זִמְנָא וּבְכָל שַׁעְתָּא אִית לָהּ לְאֲפָקָא נִשְׁמָתִין בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא כְּמָה דְלָקְטָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וַאֲפִיקַת לוֹן הַשְׁתָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְאִיהִי קָיְימָא בְּדִינָא. הַאי מַאן דְּנָקִיט לָהּ בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא לֶיהֱוֵי תָּדִיר בִּגְרִיעוּתָא, וּמִסְכֵּנוּתָא אָזְלָא לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאִתָּבַר תָּדִיר בְּדִינָא כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְבַר נָשׁ בֵּין חַיָּיבָא בֵּין זַכָּאָה. בַּר דִּצְלוֹתָא בָּטִיל כָּל גִּזְרֵי דִינִין וְיָכִיל לְסַלְקָא בִּצְלוֹתָא.
But there is a deep mystery involved here, inasmuch as all the ways of God are based on truth and righteousness. In connection with this verse I have found in the books of the ancients a mystical doctrine, and next to it another mystical doctrine, both being in essence one and the same. It amounts to the following. There is a period when the moon is defective, judgement being visited upon her, and the sun being concealed from her. Now it is the moon that at all times and seasons releases souls to enter the sons of men-she having previously gathered them for the purpose. Of those souls, then, which she releases during the period that she is under sentence, every one will always be the victim of degradation and poverty and suffer other chastisements, irrespective of whether he be sinful or righteous. (Prayer, however, can avert any sentence of punishment.)
וְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּקָיְימָא הַהוּא דַרְגָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ, וְהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק אִשְׁתַּמַּשׁ בָּהּ, כְּדֵין הַהוּא נִשְׁמָתָא דְּנָפְקַת וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא בַר נָשׁ, הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ אִשְׁתַּלִּים בְּכֹלָּא בְּעוּתְרָא בִּבְנִין בִּשְׁלִימוּ דְּגוּפָא.
But those souls which the moon sends forth when she is in the grade of completeness, and the perennially flowing stream plays about her, are destined to enjoy abundance of all good things-of riches, children, and bodily health-
וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין הַהוּא מַזָּלָא דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק וְאִתְחַבַּר בְּהַהוּא דַרְגָּא לְאִשְׁתַּלְּמָא בֵּיהּ וּלְאִתְבָּרְכָא מִנֵּיהּ, וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא בְּמַזָּלָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא. וְעַל דָּא תָּנִינָן, בָּנִי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי לָאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא אֶלָּא בְּמַזָּלָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא. דְּהָא בִּזְכוּתָא לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא עַד דְּאִתְמַלְּיָא וְאִתְנְהִיר מִן מַזָּלָא.
and all on account of the allotment (mazzal) that flowed forth and joined itself to that grade in order to be perfected and blessed by it. We see thus that all things are dependent on allotment (mazzal), according to the dictum: “Children, life, and livelihood do not depend on a man’s merits, but on mazzal.״
וּבְגִין כָּךְ כָּל אִינוּן דְּאִתָּבְרוּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וְאִינוּן זַכָּאי קְשׁוֹט, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתָּבְרוּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וְאִתְדָּנוּ בְּדִינָא. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דְּהַהִיא נַפְשָׁא גָּרְמָא לְהוּ, וְעַל דָּא חָיִיס עֲלַיְיהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי.
Hence all those who are sorely afflicted in this world in spite of being truly righteous suffer through the mischance of their soul; but in compensation the Holy One, blessed be He, has compassion on them in the world to come.’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, כָּל מַה דְּעָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּדִינָא אִיהוּ, בְּגִין לְדַּכָּאָה לְהַהִיא נַפְשָׁא לְאַיְיתָאָה לָהּ לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. (ובגין כך קודשא בריך הוא כל עובדוי) (נ"א בגין דכל עובדוי דקודשא בריך הוא) אִינוּן בְּדִינָא וּקְשׁוֹט. וּבְגִין לְאַעֲבָרָא מִנֵּיהּ הַהוּא זוּהֲמָא דְּקַבִּילַת בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וְעַל דָּא אִתָּבַר הַהוּא גּוּפָא וְאִתְדְּכִיאַת נַפְשָׁא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד לְהַהוּא זַכָּאָה דְּיִסְבּוֹל יִסּוּרִין וּמַכְאוֹבִין בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וְיִתְנְקֵי מִכֹּלָּא וְיִזְכֶּה לְחַיֵּי עָלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (תהילים י״א:ה׳) יְיָ צַדִּיק יִבְחָן. וַדַּאי, וְהָא אִתְּמָר.
R. Eleazar said: ‘All the acts of the Almighty are in accordance with justice, and His purpose is to purify that soul from the scum that adheres to it in this world, so as to bring it into the world to come. When the body is crushed the soul is purified, and so God brings pains and sufferings on the righteous man in this world in order that he may gain life everlasting. In this regard it is written: “The Lord trieth the righteous, etc.” (Ps. 11, 5).’