Published: Saturday, July 12, 2008
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Visitor Comments: 14
About the Author
Rabbi Mordechai Becher
Rabbi Mordechai Becher, originally from Australia, is a Senior Lecturer for the Gateways Organization. He was a Senior Lecturer at Ohr Somayach, Neve Yerushalayim and Darchei Binah in Jerusalem for 15 years, was a chaplain in the Israel Defence Forces and taught in a number of Rabbinic training programs. Rabbi Becher is the co-author of After the Return, and has answered thousands of questions on the Ask-the-Rabbi website. His latest book, Gateway to Judaism, was recently published by Shaar Press. Rabbi Becher received his ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He has lectured for the UJA, Jewish Federations, the Zionist Organization of America, Hillel and is on the speakers bureau of the Israeli Consulate in New York. He has taught in Canada, the United States, England, Israel, South Africa, Australia and Russia. He resides with his wife and 6 children in Passaic, NJ.
_(english).jpg "Cheshvan: Facing the Ordinary")
(14) Meir , August 5, 2008
G-ds master plan
I dont understand. You believe in G-d, you believe that He is Almighty and the Ultimate Good, and yet you question His ways?? If He wasnt so good, why are people healthy? Why arent we all chas v'shalom sick and disease-ridden? It must be, from the fact that some people get sick and others dont, that He DOES have a master plan. Us mortals, with our keyhole perception of things, can hardly expect to understand something beyond what we see. For example, theres a parable about a simple peasant that watched a landowner chop down a forest. "What are you doing?!" he yelled. "Calm down," he was reassured, "you'll see." Later, he saw a group of men take plows and rip up the ground until there were several deep gashes in the earth. "Stop! You're ruining the ground!" "Dont worry, you'll see." Then he saw them pour seeds into the ground and cover them up. A few months later, he saw beautiful stalks of wheat - only to be harvested. "Thats it!" he complained. "How long will you destroy everything?" The landowner quietly led him into the house, where the delicious smell of baking bread was detected. "Have some" he was offered. When he tasted delectable bread, he said, " ah, now I understand Everything". So too with us and G-d(I hope you get the point). Btw, I know Rabbi Becher personally, and he knows his stuff. No use arguing.
(13) Anonymous , July 23, 2008
Why do innocent babies suffer and die?
I lost my 2 month old daughter 3 months ago. She was born with several birth defects. I understand sometimes people (even babies) suffer because of another person's bad choices, that there are always consequences to sin. But what about situations like this, where it just happened, and nobody caused it, or could have done anything about it?
And if G-d opens and closes the womb, then why do child abusers and drug addicts and molesters get blessed with children, and my baby was born doomed to die?
And if He can and does perform miracles, then why some and not others? Why not let the tortured babies out of their pain, and spare the ones who will be loved?
I don't know what to think about Him anymore.
(12) Y itz , July 17, 2008
Lab rat
A person is not a Lab Rat because he chooses good and gets rewarded (as the Bible states will happen, by the way)...we have free will choices that are not clear as to what is the right choice...also, the idea that there is "randomness" to evil to test us is very suspect and not supported by Ramchal, Maimonides at least.
(11) Barbara , July 15, 2008
Tell Me
How does free will, punishment for past deeds, or fairness come into play when a 2 year old child is suffering from cancer? That's what I can't answer, even to my own satisfaction.
(10) Daniela , July 15, 2008
To Todd -
That fact you speak of, that you say has been forgotten in much of the teaching of Judaism today, is based 100% on Christian teaching. It's a mistranslation and misunderstanding of the text of Leviticus that is used to argue that sin could not be forgiven without belief in Jesus dying to atone for the world's sins. We Jews DO NOT believe that forgiveness can only happen through the shedding of blood. It happens through asking to be forgiven through prayer or asking the person you've wronged to forgive you, admitting wrong, and change. That's it.
Suffering in the world, to answer your question, has a connection with sin only in terms of directing our behavior as a way for G-d to teach us lessons without being too obvious in a way that compromises our freedom of will. The Jewish way of looking at punishment for sin is actually more like correction and redirection, rather than wrath on the part of G-d. It seems to us like wrath sometimes, but we believe G-d doesn't actually experience emotions or such a flaw as revenge or vengeance. It's all about lessons and guidance. Suffering and evil are not synonymous, and just because we can't foresee the good that can come from suffering while it happens, very often we are better for it in the end. That's the real faith and trust that we have to have in G-d - that no matter what happens, EVERYTHING is for the good in the end, that G-d knows what He's doing and that's all we have to know.
Also, fyi, according to Jewish tradition there was no animal sacrifice before the Flood. The gift of skin to Adam and Eve as a show of compassion even after their sin did not necessarily involve the actual death of any animal. And even if G-d killed an animal for the purpose, this is still not "sacrifice" as most people understand it. Nothing was "given up" for the purpose, as G-d doesn't "lose" anything.
Hope this helps.