The ancient sages wrestled with these questions too. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, we find a fascinating perspective, particularly in Midrash 52.

It all starts with David and Doeg. David, who would become king, and Doeg, an Edomite who served in Saul's court. David rebukes Doeg, and the midrash suggests that David pointed out to Doeg that he was prioritizing Saul's "evil love" over goodness. The core idea? Doeg was more concerned with pleasing a flawed authority figure than with upholding what was right. The midrash implies that Doeg's downfall stemmed from this misplaced loyalty. He should have been more concerned with truth and righteousness, even if it meant displeasing the king.

The midrash then uses this scenario to launch into a broader discussion about true wisdom and what we should truly value. It references Jeremiah 9:22-23, cautioning us not to boast about our wisdom, might, or riches. Instead, "let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me." And what is this understanding? It's Torah! As Deuteronomy 4:44 says, "And this is the Torah." It's about knowing God, living justly, and behaving wisely, just as David himself did, as described in 2 Samuel 8:15 and 1 Samuel 18:14.

But the truly part comes when Rabbi Shimon Bar Abba, in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, says that God showed Abraham a glimpse of the entire future – the Torah, sacrifices, Gehinnom (hell), and exile.

How did God do this? Through symbolic imagery! Genesis 15:17 speaks of "a smoking oven and a burning torch." The torch, the midrash tells us, represents the Torah, drawing a parallel to Exodus 20:15 where the people "saw the thunderings and the lightnings"– divine revelation at Sinai. The burning oven? That's Gehinnom, as it says in Malachi 3:19, "And he shall be like a flaming oven." And Isaiah 31:9 echoes this, "Whose fire is in Zion."

Then comes the heart-wrenching choice. God offers Abraham a choice for his descendants. Would they prefer to endure Gehinnom, or exile? Rabbi Chanina bar Papa says that Abraham chose exile, believing it was better for Israel to be scattered and tested than to face the eternal fire. Abraham, faced with unimaginable suffering for his future generations, chooses exile. He chooses the wandering, the hardship, the persecution, rather than eternal damnation. It's a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of the Jewish people and their commitment to a higher purpose.

And it connects back to the beginning of the midrash. It’s a reminder that true glory lies not in earthly power or fleeting pleasures, but in understanding God's ways and enduring hardship with faith. As Isaiah 51:1 says, "Look to the rock from which you were hewn," referring to Abraham, our father. We are his descendants, shaped by his choices, and called to live with the same unwavering faith. Exile, after all, becomes a crucible, forging strength and resilience. Even when faced with the love of evil that seems to flourish around us.