A Test of Faith

Have you ever wondered why life isn't easy? Why is there so much suffering? This week's parasha, Ekev, deals with this topic in its own way.

When Moses addresses the children of Israel he tells them, "Remember the long way that the Lord your G-d made you travel in the wilderness these past forty years that He might test you by hardships to learn what was in your hearts: whether you would keep His commandments or not."

Upon first reading that passage, I was somewhat confused. I had always believed that the journey through the wilderness was designed to allow the non-believing generation that left Egypt to die off and allow the younger generation that had no memory of Egypt to enter the promised land. I had never really thought of the travel as a test of hardship designed to also help G-d learn what was in the hearts of those who were challenged.

Taken from the Torah perspective, however, it seems that creating a situation in which the Israelites suffered such a hardship also served a purpose for G-d. Personally, I'm not used to trying to figure out what purpose a particular action serves for G-d, other than knowing that G-d either wants us to engage or not engage in an action as we are instructed in the Torah. That being said , I think it is useful to look at various ways of looking at this Torah text.

Tradition uses a phrase called yisurin shel ahavah, chastisements of love, to help us understand the fate of Israel. This doctrine, says that "When Israel suffers, it suffers because G-d in His very love of Israel so willed it. (Plaut) G-d is not immune to the suffering of His people, but understands as does a loving father, that hardship can educate and purify. The psalmists put it this way: Happy is the man whom You discipline, O Lord....To give him tranquility in times of misfortune." (94:12-13) According to this view, there is no way for us to truly understand that which appears to be a lack of justice on the part of G-d as we try to make sense of the reality of human suffering. An entire book of the Tanach, the Book of Job, deals with the concept of human suffering and it reminds us that humans cannot understand G-d's design. We merely need to accept the fact that G-d has in all of His wisdom designed this world and that nothing G-d proposes is impossible for Him.

When Rashi commented on the statement in this week's parasha, he too noted that that we are to observe G-d's commandments and not test Him nor reflect after Him. We are not to question the justice of G-d's ways.

In an Artscroll commentary about this statement, we are told that it might seem contradictory to be told that hardships come because G-d wants to know what is in your heart, whether you would observe His commandments. "Observance of commandments is generally a matter of action, not a matter which is 'in the heart.' " Perhaps that is why Rambam suggested that the hardship was really to test the Israelites' faith because they could never be sure that the manna that sustained them in the wilderness would appear the next day."

It seems, that part of the key to understanding this passage also lies in reading further on into the parasha. "He subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you manna to eat....The clothes upon you did not wear out, nor did your feet swell for these forty years.....the Lord your G-d is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams and springs and fountains issuing from plain and hill...a land where you may eat food without stint, where you will lack nothing....when you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the Lord your G-d for the good land which He has given you." (Deut. 8: 3- 10) According to the parasha, what is in our hearts does matter. We are to show gratitude and not take the blessings of life for granted or even feel that we merit them.

When we are in the midst of the trials and tribulations of life, do we still have a sense of gratitude? When we are blessed with plenty, do we take the time to show our gratitude? In the Babylonian Talmud, Masechet Berachot 60b, we are told: "It is incumbent on a man to bless ...What is meant by being bound to bless for the evil in the same way as for the good?...Raba said, What it really means is that one must receive the evil with gladness. R. Aha said in the name of R. Levi: Where do we find this in the Scripture? ...the Rabbis derive it from here: 'The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away- blessed be the name of the Lord'(Job 1:21). R. Huna said in the name of Rab citing R. Meir, and so it was taught in the name of R. Akiva: A man should always accustom himself to say, 'Whatever the All-Merciful does is for good.'

Perhaps in modern psychology, the same answer is provided for us in a different way. We are often told that there are many things which happen to us in our lifetime over which we have no control. The only thing we can control is our response. We need not succumb to despair, we can be resilient and reframe our experience into something which allows us to grow as a human being. We can respond to our challenges in a way that also denotes we recognize the good that still exists. Is that not a modern day explanation of the problem the Torah shares with us this week? Can we still believe in G-d even when we suffer? Can we still count our blessings and show our gratitude?

I remember sitting with my father as he was dying in my bedroom a little over a year ago. He said two things that will always stick with me. I asked him how he was doing. He responded: I'm doing well, considering what I'm doing. I asked what he meant by that. He responded: You know, Nancy, I'm dying...but I'm doing well." Another time, just before he closed his eyes and fell into a coma he said, "This was a good day, I didn't read my name in the obituaries." He was grateful for life right up to the end of his life.

Dealing with personal suffering or the suffering of Am Yisrael, is not a topic that one can dismiss lightly. Maimonides opposed the Torah's interpretation of "chastisements of love." I recognize that each of us needs to study/ponder the questions that this week's parasha bring to the fore. I would hope, however, that we can somehow find the attitude of gratitude within our psyches as we deal with life's challenges...for I do believe that we need to continually recognize the blessings and gifts of this world.

Shabbat Shalom.