Could it be true? | Imamother

amother

Mustard

Sun, Feb 24 2019, 5:46 am

For a moment, in the middle of the gehinom that makes up a significant part of (but not all of my life) I thought - "this is gehinom. And I'm getting ALL of my gehinom in this world. There will be none left for the next world. Bring.It.On!". And then for a moment, maybe a full minute, I was actually ECSTATIC about my terrible situation. Now in the light of day I'm thinking - umm no I'm not a tzaddikes! But for one minute, despite everything, I was SO Happy. Could it possibly have been true?

FranticFrummie

Sun, Feb 24 2019, 5:58 am

I like your attitude. I've often thought the same thing myself.

Some days it's too much, but if you want to get through them you have to try and find the silver lining in those dark clouds.

someone

Sun, Feb 24 2019, 6:05 am

There is a story about someone who had a terrible physical impairment that made people stare at him and laugh at him all the time. He came to Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and cried to him that his life is so terrible and that he suffers all the time because of this problem. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu told him that he is getting all his gehinom in this world and when he gets up there after 120 they will let him straight through to Gan Eden. The man was so happy that he started dancing with all the other people who were in the room...

Iymnok

Sun, Feb 24 2019, 6:57 am

There is definitely truth to that. That is one answer as to why reshoim have it good, so they will use up their schar here in this world and get their full punishment after they die.
It is a high level to accept yissurim b'ahava.

amother

Seashell

Sun, Feb 24 2019, 8:01 am

Iymnok wrote:

The issue with this is that very often tzadikim have it amazing in this world as well. Very large healthy families with children. Grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Health, Money, and endless nachas and bracha. Do you think the tzadik is trading in some of his olam habba? It's very convenient to say when a person is suffering that they are getting punished in this world and maintaining all their olam habba. But if that's really true, how does the other side to the story that I describe above make sense? It doesn't.

PinkFridge

Sun, Feb 24 2019, 8:08 am

amother wrote:

We don't understand the currency of olam haba.
Also, there's a problem: in yekum purkan this is what we daven for, that good people have all this. And obviously it must be good for them in both worlds.

OP, and everyone for whom this resonates (most of us, we all have our moments when we can get an insight into what your 24/7 seems to be), I wish you clarity, menucha, and simcha.

amother

Seashell

Sun, Feb 24 2019, 8:23 am

I agree with you. We don't understand the currency of olam habba. The question is what to respond when someone is suffering? Do we say the truth which is that we have absolutely no idea why, and have absolutely no idea or understanding if this will impact the next world, or do we lie and tell people comforting words and say how they are so lucky because all their schar is being saved for the next world, when we really have no understanding and no reason to believe this is true?

amother

Honeydew

Sun, Feb 24 2019, 11:19 am

I can't help thinking that the tzaddikim are carrying enormous spiritual weight on their shoulders. They are held to a higher account in this world and in the next. They are privy to a lot of suffering and tzaros of their kehillos and people turn to them for guidance and wisdom and example. They have to put their community ahead of their family and their davening is so intense.