“Odecha Hashem Ki ‘Anitani”

Jeffrey Dweck

Interestingly, there are people who have endured a difficult time or difficult
challenge in their lives, who explain that they would not rush to trade it back if
given the chance. Many explain that they would not be the people they have
become. Difficult experiences and dark times have contributed to people’s
humility, courage, and general sense of belief that G-d exists around them. Most
striking is what they learn about the people closest to them – about their
strength, loyalty and understanding.

In Tehillim, 23, a pasuk reads “Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.”
According to the midrash, “rod” is applied to suffering while “staff” is applied to
the Torah. Both are a comfort. In other words, suffering is not something we can
always avoid. But it can provide a unique opportunity.

The Talmud, Taanit 8a, quotes Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: “Whoever rejoices in
the sufferings that come upon him in this life brings salvation to the world.”
This isn’t to say that we should go out of our way to find suffering. On the
contrary, when asked by Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Hanina “Are your sufferings
welcome to you?,” both Rabbi Chiya b. Abba and Rabbi Yohanan, responded
“Not the suffering and not their reward.” (Berachot 5a). Nonetheless, when a
man does “see suffering come upon him,” he should use it as a time to
“scrutinize his actions; as it is said, 'Let us search and try our ways, and return
unto the Lord' (Eichah 3:40).” If a man still cannot determine its cause, and is not
in neglect of Torah, it is certain that his suffering is suffering of love; as it is said,
'For whom the Lord loves He corrects'“ (Mishlei 3:12). This, says Ben Zion
Bokser in a Book called “The Wisdom of The Talmud” (1951), is the highest kind
of suffering – its purpose is not to make amends for some wrong, but to disrupt
the smooth and even flow of one’s (perhaps stagnant) life and kick start a new
spiritual advance.

Bokser quotes an appropriate midrash in Shemot Rabbah on Shemot 27:20: “As

the olive does not give of its precious oil except under pressure, so Israel does
not bring forth its highest virtues except through adversity.”

Rabbeinu Yonah writes in Shaarei Teshuvah (2:4) “When a person accepts

Hashem’s rebuke and as a consequence improves his ways, he should rejoice in
the hardship, because (in retrospect) it turned out to be beneficial to him, and he
should thank Hashem as he would for other successes … and one who truly
trusts in Hashem should hope in the midst of his distress that the darkness will
be the cause of his light …. As our rabbis, of blessed memory, said, “If I did not
fall, I could not have arisen; if I had not been in darkness, it would not have been
light for me” (Midrash Tehillim 22, discussing Micha 7:8 “when I sit in darkness
Hashem shall be a light to me”) (Quoted by Rabbi Zev Leff in an article written
for Perashat Miketz).

We do not celebrate our salvation alone, but also the misfortune and suffering
that necessitated that salvation. The two are inseparable.

Brought by Rabbi Zev Leff, the Sefat Emet explains that the days of Chanukah
were designated as days of hallel ve’hoda’ah (praise and thanksgiving): hallel for
the miraculous salvation and hoda’ah for the suffering and misfortune that
preceded it. We not only thank G-d for His miracles, deliverance, and mighty
acts, but also for the battles.

Thus, the Bet Halevi reads the pasuk “I will give you thanks, for you answered
me [‘anitani]; you have become my salvation (Tehillim 118:21)” as “I will give
you thanks, for you have afflicted [‘initani] me; you have become my salvation.”