Why Suffering Is Beloved and What It Purchases

Rabbi Meir says: "And you shall consider in your heart, that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you" (Deuteronomy 8:5), let your heart know the deeds that you have done and the sufferings that I have brought upon you, that I did not bring the sufferings upon you according to your deeds. Rabbi Jonathan says: Beloved are sufferings, for just as a covenant is sealed for the land, so a covenant is sealed for sufferings, as it is said, "The LORD your God chastens you," and it says, "For the LORD your God brings you into a good land" (Deuteronomy 8:7). Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: Beloved are sufferings, for three good gifts were given to Israel which the nations of the world covet, and they were given only through sufferings, and these are: the Torah, the Land of Israel, and the World to Come. Where do we learn the Torah? As it is said, "To know wisdom and chastening, to perceive the words of understanding" (Proverbs 1:2), and it says, "Happy is the man whom You chasten, O LORD, and teach out of Your Torah" (Psalms 94:12). Where do we learn the Land of Israel? Scripture teaches, "The LORD your God chastens you," and it says, "For the LORD your God brings you into a good land" (Deuteronomy 8:7). Where do we learn the World to Come? Scripture teaches, "For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light" and so on (Proverbs 6:23). You may say: Go out and see which path brings a person to the life of the World to Come. You must say: this is sufferings. Rabbi Nehemiah says: Beloved are sufferings, for just as the sacrifices make atonement, so sufferings make atonement. Of sacrifices what does it say? "And it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him" (Leviticus 1:4). Of sufferings what does it say? "And they shall make amends for their iniquity" (Leviticus 26:43). And not only that, but sufferings atone more than sacrifices, because sacrifices are with money while sufferings are with the body. And so it says, "Skin for skin, all that a man has" and so on (Job 2:4). And it once happened that Rabbi Eliezer was ill, and four elders came in to visit him: Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Joshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Tarfon responded and said: My teacher, you are more beloved to Israel than the sphere of the sun, for the sphere of the sun gives light in this world, but you have given us light in this world and in the World to Come. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah responded and said: You are more beloved to Israel than father and mother, for father and mother bring a person into this world, but you bring us into this world and the World to Come. Rabbi Akiva responded and said: Beloved are sufferings. Rabbi Eliezer said to his students: Support me. Rabbi Eliezer sat up. He said to him: Speak, Akiva. He said: Behold it says, "Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years" and so on (2 Kings 21:1), and it says, "These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah copied out" (Proverbs 25:1). Now did it ever enter Hezekiah king of Judah's mind to teach all Israel Torah and not to teach Torah to his own son Manasseh? Rather say from now: that all the teaching he taught him and all the labor he labored over him availed him nothing, and what availed him? You must say: sufferings, as it is said, "And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people... and when he was in distress he entreated the favor of the LORD his God... and prayed to Him" and so on (2 Chronicles 33:10-13). Thus you have learned that sufferings are beloved. "Gods of silver and gods of gold" (Exodus 20:20): Why is it stated? Because it says, "And you shall make two cherubim of gold" (Exodus 25:18). One might say: behold I will make four; therefore Scripture teaches "gods of gold", if you add to the two they are like gods of gold. Why is "gods of silver" stated? Has it not already said "gods of gold"? Because we find that all the vessels of the eternal House, if they have none of gold, they make them of silver; one might hear that the two cherubim are likewise; therefore Scripture teaches "gods of silver", so that if you change them from gold they are like gods of silver. "You shall not make for yourselves": that you should not say, since the Torah granted permission to make them in the eternal House, behold we shall make them in synagogues and study houses; therefore Scripture teaches "You shall not make for yourselves."