The Three Requests of Moses and the Riddle of the Suffering Righteous

"Show me, I pray You, Your glory" (Exodus 33:18) — show me the measure by which You govern the world. He said to him: You cannot stand upon My measures. "My presence will go, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14). Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosi: What is the meaning of what is written, "My presence will go, and I will give you rest"? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Wait for Me until the face of wrath passes, and I will give you rest. From here we learn that one does not appease a person at the moment of his anger. "And we shall be distinguished, I and Your people" (Exodus 33:16). Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosi: Three things Moses requested before the Holy One, blessed be He, and He granted them to him. He requested that the Divine Presence rest upon Israel, and He granted it, as it is said, "Is it not in that You go with us?" He requested that the Divine Presence not rest upon the worshippers of stars and constellations, and He granted it, as it is said, "And we shall be distinguished, I and Your people." He requested to be shown the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and He granted it, as it is said, "Show me now Your ways." He said before Him: Master of the universe, why is there a righteous man to whom good comes, and a righteous man to whom evil comes; a wicked man to whom good comes, and a wicked man to whom evil comes? He said to him: A wicked man to whom good comes is a wicked man who is the son of a righteous man; a righteous man to whom evil comes is a righteous man who is the son of a wicked man. But is it not written, "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children" (Exodus 34:7), and it is written, "fathers shall not be put to death for the children" (Deuteronomy 24:16)? There is no difficulty: the one case is where they hold fast to the deeds of their fathers in their hands, the other where they do not hold fast to the deeds of their fathers in their hands. Rather, this is what He said: A righteous man to whom good comes is a wholly righteous man; a righteous man to whom evil comes is a righteous man who is not wholly righteous. And this differs from Rabbi Meir, for Rabbi Meir said: Two were granted to him and one was not granted to him, as it is said, "And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious" — even though he is not deserving; "and I will show mercy" and so on — even though he is not deserving.