Kabbolas Yissurim

Samuel then told him everything, withholding nothing from him. And [Eli] said, “He is the LORD; He will do what He deems right.”

They set out from Bethel; but when they were still some distance short of Ephrath, Rachel was in childbirth, and she had hard labor.

He shall act like a smelter and purger of silver; and he shall purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they shall present offerings in righteousness.

Rav Yosef taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And on that day you shall say: I will give thanks to You, Lord, for You were angry with me; Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me” (Isaiah 12:1)? With regard to what matter is the verse speaking?

And this statement is identical to that which Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who does wondrous things alone; and blessed be His glorious name forever” (Psalms 72:18–19)? What does it mean that God “does wondrous things alone”? It means that even the one for whom the miracle was performed does not recognize the miracle that was performed for him.

“My people!
What wrong have I done you?
What hardship have I caused you?
Testify against Me.

Besides, although you intended me harm, God intended it for good, so as to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their fruit.

And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the LORD in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper.

And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the LORD in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper.

For thus said the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Let not the prophets and diviners in your midst deceive you, and pay no heed to the dreams they dream.

He would also say: Righteous people who suffer in this world – to what can they be compared? [They can be compared] to a chef who prepares a meal for himself. Even though he has gone to all the trouble, in the end he will be able to eat and others will not. But wicked people who suffer in this world – to what can they be compared? [They can be compared] to a chef who has prepared a meal for others. Even though he has gone to all the trouble, in the end it is others who will eat and not the chef.

§ The Gemara returns to the previous incident. When he heard that the greatness of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, was due to his suffering, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to himself: Afflictions are evidently precious. He accepted thirteen years of afflictions upon himself; six years of stones in the kidneys and seven years of scurvy [bitzfarna]. And some say it was seven years of stones in the kidneys and six years of scurvy.

The Gemara says: But even so, the afflictions of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, were greater than those of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. The reason is that whereas the afflictions of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, came upon him out of love, and left him out of love, i.e., they were solely the result of his own request, not because he deserved them, those of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi came upon him due to an incident and left him due to another incident.

A Divine Voice emerged and said: It is not because this one is greater than that one; rather, it is because this one, Rabbi Elazar, experienced the suffering of the cave, while that one, i.e., Rabbi Yosei, did not experience suffering of the cave. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, suffered with his father for thirteen years in a cave while hiding from the Romans (see Shabbat 33b).

The Gemara relates that Rabbi Elazar, another of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s students, fell ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan entered to visit him, and saw that he was lying in a dark room. Rabbi Yoḥanan exposed his arm, and light radiated from his flesh, filling the house. He saw that Rabbi Elazar was crying, and said to him: Why are you crying? Thinking that his crying was over the suffering that he endured throughout his life, Rabbi Yoḥanan attempted to comfort him: If you are weeping because you did not study as much Torah as you would have liked, we learned: One who brings a substantial sacrifice and one who brings a meager sacrifice have equal merit, as long as he directs his heart toward Heaven. If you are weeping because you lack sustenance and are unable to earn a livelihood, as Rabbi Elazar was, indeed, quite poor, not every person merits to eat off of two tables, one of wealth and one of Torah, so you need not bemoan the fact that you are not wealthy. If you are crying over children who have died, this is the bone of my tenth son, and suffering of that kind afflicts great people, and they are afflictions of love.

The Gemara relates that Rabbi Elazar, another of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s students, fell ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan entered to visit him, and saw that he was lying in a dark room. Rabbi Yoḥanan exposed his arm, and light radiated from his flesh, filling the house. He saw that Rabbi Elazar was crying, and said to him: Why are you crying? Thinking that his crying was over the suffering that he endured throughout his life, Rabbi Yoḥanan attempted to comfort him: If you are weeping because you did not study as much Torah as you would have liked, we learned: One who brings a substantial sacrifice and one who brings a meager sacrifice have equal merit, as long as he directs his heart toward Heaven. If you are weeping because you lack sustenance and are unable to earn a livelihood, as Rabbi Elazar was, indeed, quite poor, not every person merits to eat off of two tables, one of wealth and one of Torah, so you need not bemoan the fact that you are not wealthy. If you are crying over children who have died, this is the bone of my tenth son, and suffering of that kind afflicts great people, and they are afflictions of love.

Rabbi Yehuda said that one says: For our iniquities are too many to count and our sins are too great to number. Rav Hamnuna said: This is the liturgy of the confession: My God, before I was formed I was unworthy. Now that I have been formed, it is as if I had not been formed. I am dust while alive, how much more so when I am dead. See, I am before You like a vessel filled with shame and disgrace. May it be Your will that I may sin no more, and as for the sins I have committed before You, erase them in Your compassion, but not by suffering. The Gemara comments: This is the confession that Rava used all year long; and it was the confession that Rav Hamnuna Zuta used on Yom Kippur.

which I enjoined upon your ancestors when I freed them from the land of Egypt, the iron crucible, saying, ‘Obey Me and observe them, just as I command you, that you may be My people and I may be your God’—

My beloved is mine and I am theirs, who browses among the lilies (Song of Songs 2:16). Rabbi Yochanan became afflicted and endured fevers for three and one-half years. Rabbi Hanina went up to visit him. He said to him, "What has come upon you?" He said to him, "My burden is too great to bear." He said to him, "You should not say that. Rather you should say, 'The faithful God.'"

When his [Rabbi Yochanan's] suffering increased, he would say, "The faithful God."

And when his suffering became too difficult for him to stand, Rabbi Hanina would go up [to him] and say a word and heal him.

After some time Rabbi Hanina became sick. Rabbi Yochanan went up to visit him. He said to him, "What has come upon you?" He said to him, "How difficult are sufferings!" He said to him, "But how great is their reward!" He said to him, "I want neither them nor their reward."

He [Rabbi Yochanan] said to him, "Why don't you say that word that you said for me and heal yourself?" He said to him, "When I was outside, I could serve as a guarantor for others. Now that I am inside, do I not need others to be guarantors for me?"

He [Rabbi Yochanan] said to him, "It is written, [My beloved is mine and I am his], who browses among the lilies. The rod of the Holy Blessed One only searches about among those whose hearts are soft as lilies.

Rabbi Eleazar said, "[This can be compared] to the owner of two cows, one strong and one weak. Upon which one does he impose? Is it not upon the strong one? So too God does not test the wicked. Why? Because they cannot take it, as it is written, But the wicked are like the troubled sea (Isaiah 57:20). Whom does God test? The righteous, as it says, The lord tests the righteous person (Ps. 11:5); some time afterwar God put Abraham to the test (Gen. 22:1); after a time, his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph (Gen. 39:7).

Rabbi Yose beRabbi Hanina said, "The flax-maker--when his flax hardens he does not beat it too much. Why? Because it would break. But when his flax is good, however much he beats it, the more he improves its quality. So too God does not test the wicked, for they cannot bear it. But God tests the righteous, as it says, God tests the righteous person (Ps. 11:5).

Rabbi Yochanan said: "The potter--when he checks hsi kiln, he does not check it with fragile vessels. Why? Because when he strikes them they break. With what does he check [his kiln]? With good vessels, because even though he strikes them several times, they do not break. So too God does not test the wicked. But whom does God test? The righteous, as it says, God tests the righteous person (Ps. 11:5). [Translation from Rabbinic Stories, Translated & Introduced by Jeffrey L. Rubenstein]

What moments of resilience do we see in this text?

What lessons about resilience can we draw out from these examples, and from the narrative?