It’s a question as old as time, and one that even Moses, the great lawgiver himself, wrestled with.
According to Ginzberg’s retelling in Legends of the Jews, while Moses was up on Mount Sinai – that sacred place where he received the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible – he witnessed a scene that shook him to his core.
Imagine this: a man stops at a river for a drink, unknowingly drops his purse, and walks off. Another man happens upon the purse, pockets the cash, and hurries away. Later, the first man realizes his loss, returns to the river, and confronts an innocent bystander who was simply fetching water. Accusing him of theft, the first man murders the innocent water-fetcher.
Moses, witnessing this apparent injustice, is understandably horrified. He cries out to God, "Show me your ways! Why was this innocent man slain, and why does the thief go unpunished?" It’s a raw, human reaction to a seemingly senseless act.
God, in His infinite wisdom, responds by revealing the hidden connections. The man who kept the purse wasn't stealing, but reclaiming what was rightfully his – the first man had stolen it from him earlier! And the seemingly innocent man who was murdered? He was atoning for a past sin – the murder of the slayer's father.
Wow. Talk about a cosmic balancing act.
This story isn't just a quirky anecdote; it's a powerful illustration of how limited our human understanding can be. We see a snapshot, a single moment in time, without knowing the full history, the karmic debts, the intricate web of cause and effect that shapes our world.
God only granted Moses a partial glimpse. He showed him all the generations to come, the sages and prophets, the interpreters of scripture, the leaders and the pious. Imagine seeing the sweep of history laid out before you like that!
But Moses, still troubled, pressed further. "O Lord of the world!" he pleaded, "Let me see by what law Thou dost govern the world; for I see that many a just man is lucky, but many a one is not; many a wicked man is lucky, but many a one is not; many a rich man is happy, but many a one is not; many a poor man is happy, but many a one is not." He’s basically saying, "God, this whole thing feels random!"
God’s reply is profound. He tells Moses, "Thou canst not grasp all the principles which I apply to the government of the world, but some of them shall I impart to thee. When I see human beings who have no claim to expectations from Me either for their own deeds or for those of their fathers, but who pray to Me and implore Me, then do I grant their prayers and give them what they require from subsistence."
In other words, God's ways are complex and beyond our complete comprehension. Sometimes, grace is given simply because it is asked for, even when it isn't "deserved" based on past actions.
What does this mean for us? Maybe it’s a call to humility. A reminder that what appears unjust on the surface might be part of a larger, more intricate plan that we can't fully grasp. And perhaps, most importantly, it’s an affirmation of the power of prayer, of reaching out to the Divine, even when we feel unworthy. Because sometimes, that’s all it takes.