Even MOSES, the great lawgiver himself, wrestled with this. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Moses needed to understand why the righteous weren't always rewarded, and, just as perplexingly, why the wicked sometimes prospered. He wanted to know the ins and outs of divine justice.
Imagine MOSES, standing before God, asking the tough questions we all ponder. God assured him that the pious would indeed receive their just rewards. But here's the kicker: God didn't fully explain why the undeserving sometimes experience happiness. He simply stated that He also shows kindness to those who don't necessarily deserve it. No "why" was given, no "wherefore" revealed. Frustrating, right?
And even when it came to the righteous, the reward wasn't fully disclosed. MOSES got a glimpse of the delights of Paradise, the Gan Eden, the beautiful garden where the righteous souls would partake in a glorious feast. A taste of heavenly pleasures.
But, and this is a big but, the real reward remained hidden. As Isaiah 64:4 tells us, "eye hath not seen, beside the Lord, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him." The ultimate reward, the true and complete joy reserved for those who trust in God, is beyond human comprehension. It’s something so profound, so utterly magnificent, that our earthly senses simply can't grasp it.
So, what are we left with? A sense of mystery, perhaps. An acknowledgement that divine justice isn't always straightforward or easily understood. It suggests that while we can glimpse aspects of reward and punishment, the complete picture remains, in essence, a divine secret. Maybe that's the point. Maybe the key is faith, trusting that there is a deeper, more intricate plan at work, even when we can’t see it. Maybe the true reward is the waiting, the faith itself.