But what if I told you that suffering, that very thing we try so hard to avoid, might actually be… good?
That's what the ancient rabbis were debating in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, they were wrestling with the phrase "Behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31).
Rav Huna, a sage from the Amoraic period, makes a startling claim. He says that "Behold it was very good" – this refers to experiencing good fortune; “and behold it was very good” – this ALSO refers to experiencing suffering.
Wait, what? Suffering is "very good"? Isn't that a bit… much?
The text itself anticipates our confusion. It asks, rhetorically, "Is the experiencing of suffering, then, 'very good'?" Of course, the answer on its face is no, but on a deeper level the answer is yes. It's not that suffering is inherently desirable, but that through it, people come to attain life in the Olam Ha-Ba, the World to Come.
Think of it this way: Suffering can be a crucible, a testing ground where our character is forged. It can break us down, sure, but it can also rebuild us, stronger and more compassionate than before. As King Solomon wisely states in Proverbs 6:23, “Rebukes of admonition are the way toward life.”
So, what does this mean for us? How can we reconcile the pain and hardship we inevitably face with the idea that it might be "very good?"
The rabbis don’t leave us hanging. "Go out and see," they urge. "Which path is it that leads a person towards life in the World to Come? This is the experiencing of suffering."
It's not about seeking out suffering, of course. It's about how we respond to it when it arrives. Do we become bitter and resentful? Or do we find a way to learn, to grow, to connect with something larger than ourselves?
Perhaps the "very good" in suffering lies not in the pain itself, but in the potential for transformation it unlocks. It’s a difficult teaching, to be sure. One that we will likely grapple with our whole lives. But it offers a powerful perspective: that even in the darkest of times, there is the possibility of light, of growth, and ultimately, of a deeper connection to the divine.