The Meaning of Suffering – Brachot 5a-5b – Eight Theologically Provocative Talmud Sugyot By Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein

Berachot 5a-b

Section 1

1. [Meimra]

R. Isaac says: If one recites the Shema’ upon his bed, it is as though he held a two-edged sword in his hand. For it is said: Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand. (Psalm 149:6)

2. [Shealah]

How does it indicate this?

3. [Teshuva]

Mar Zutra, (some say, R. Ashi) says: [The lesson is] from the preceding verse. For it is written: Let the saints exult in glory, let them sing for joy upon their beds, (Psalm 149:5) and then it is written: Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.

4. [Another meimra]

R. Isaac says further: If one recites the Shema’ upon his bed, the demons keep away from him. For it is said: And the sons of reshef fly [‘uf] upward. (Job 5:7) The word ‘uf refers only to the Torah, as it is written: Wilt thou cause thine eyes to close [hata’if] upon it? It is gone. (Proverbs 23:5) And ‘reshef’ refers only to the demons, as it is said: The wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the reshef [fiery bolt] and bitter destruction. (Deut. 32:24)

Section 2

1. [Meimra]

R. Simeon b. Lakish says: If one studies the Torah, painful sufferings are kept away from him. For it is said: And the sons of reshef fly upward. The word ‘uf refers only to the Torah, as it is written: ‘Wilt thou cause thine eyes to close upon it? It is gone’. And ‘reshef’ refers only to painful sufferings, as it is said: ‘The wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the reshef [fiery bolt].

2. [Rabbi Yochanan disagrees with Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish]

R. Johanan said to him: This is known even to school children. For it is said: And He said: If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee. (Exodus 15:26)

3. [Another interpretation]

Rather [should you say]: If one has the opportunity to study the Torah and does not study it, the Holy One, blessed be He, visits him with ugly and painful sufferings which stir him up. For it is said: I was dumb with silence, I kept silence from the good thing, and my pain was stirred up. (Psalm 39:3) ‘The good thing’ refers only to the Torah, as it is said: For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not My teaching. (Proverbs 4:2)

Section 3

1. [Another interpretation of Proverbs 4:2]

R. Zera (some say, R. Hanina b. Papa) says: Come and see how the way of human beings differs from the way of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is the way of human beings that when a man sells a valuable object to his fellow, the seller grieves and the buyer rejoices. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, is different. He gave the Torah to Israel and rejoiced. For it is said: For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not My teaching.

Section 4

1. [Another meimra regarding suffering]

Raba (some say, R. Hisda) says: If a man sees that painful sufferings visit him, let him examine his conduct. For it is said: Let us search and try our ways, and return unto the Lord. (Lamentations 3:40) If he examines and finds nothing [objectionable], let him attribute it to the neglect of the study of the Torah. For it is said: Happy is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy law. (Psalm 94:12) If he did attribute it [thus], and still did not find [this to be the cause], let him be sure that these are chastenings of love. For it is said: For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth. (Proverbs 3:12)

2. [Another meimra regarding “afflictions of love”]

Raba, in the name of R. Sahorah, in the name of R. Huna, says: If the Holy One, blessed be He, is pleased with a man, he crushes him with painful sufferings. For it is said: And the Lord was pleased with [him, hence] he crushed him by disease. (Isaiah 53:10) Now, you might think that this is so even if he did not accept them with love. Therefore it is said: To see if his soul would offer itself in restitution. (Ibid.) Even as the trespass-offering must be brought by consent, so also the sufferings must be endured with consent. And if he did accept them, what is his reward? He will see his seed, prolong his days. (Ibid.) And more than that, his knowledge [of the Torah] will endure with him. For it is said: The purpose of the Lord will prosper in his hand. (Ibid.)

3. [Dispute over the issue of ‘chastenings of love’]

R. Jacob b. Idi and R. Aha b. Hanina differ with regard to the following: – The one says: Chastenings of love are such as do not involve the intermission of study of the Torah. For it is said: Happy is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy law. (Psalm 94:12) – And the other one says: Chastenings of love are such as do not involve the intermission of prayer. For it is said: Blessed be God, Who hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me. (Psalm 66:20)

4. [Another opinion regarding “chastenings of love”]

R. Abba the son of R. Hiyya b. Abba said to them: Thus said R. Hiyya b. Abba in the name of R. Johanan: Both of them are chastenings of love. For it is said: For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth. (Proverbs 3:12) Why then does it say: ‘And teachest him out of Thy law’? Do not read telammedennu, [Thou teachest him] but telammedenu, [Thou teachest us]. Thou teachest us this thing out of Thy law as a conclusion a fortiori from the law concerning tooth and eye. Tooth and eye are only one limb of the man, and still [if they are hurt], the slave obtains thereby his freedom. How much more so with painful sufferings which torment the whole body of a man! And this agrees with a saying of R. Simeon b. Lakish. For R. Simeon b. Lakish said: The word ‘covenant’ is mentioned in connection with salt, and the word ‘covenant’ is mentioned in connection with sufferings: the word ‘covenant’ is mentioned in connection with salt, as it is written: Neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking. (Leviticus 2:13) And the word ‘covenant’ is mentioned in connection with sufferings, as it is written: These are the words of the covenant. (Deuteronomy 28:69) Even as in the covenant mentioned in connection with salt, the salt lends a sweet taste to the meat, so also in the covenant mentioned in connection with sufferings, the sufferings wash away all the sins of a man.

Section 5

1. [Baraita regarding suffering]

It has been taught: R. Simeon b. Yohai says: The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, and all of them were given only through sufferings. These are: The Torah, the Land of Israel and the world to come. Whence do we know this of the Torah? — Because it is said: Happy is the man whom Thou chastenest, o Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law. (Psalm 94:12) Whence of the Land of Israel? — Because it is written: As a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee, (Deuteronomy 8:5) and after that it is written: For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land. Whence of the world to come? — Because it is written: For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of sufferings are the way of life. (Proverbs 6:23)

Section 6

1. [Another baraita regarding afflictions]

A Tanna recited before R. Johanan the following: If a man busies himself in the study of the Torah and in acts of charity and [nonetheless] buries his children, all his sins are forgiven him.

2. [Rabbi Yochanan (an Amora) shows astonishment and asks a shealah]

R. Johanan said to him: I grant you Torah and acts of charity, for it is written: By mercy and truth iniquity is expiated. (Proverbs 16:6) ‘Mercy’ is acts of charity, for it is said: He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, prosperity and honor. (Proverbs 21:21) ‘Truth’ is Torah, for it is said: Buy the truth and sell it not. (Proverbs 23:23) But how do you know [what you say about] the one who buries his children?

3. [Teshuva]

A certain Elder [thereupon] recited to him in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: It is concluded from the analogy in the use of the word ‘iniquity’. Here it is written: By mercy and truth iniquity is expiated. And elsewhere it is written: And who recompenseth the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children. (Jeremiah 32:18)

Section 7

1. [Another meimra on the subject of “Chastisements of love”]

R. Johanan says: Leprosy and [the lack of] children are not chastisements of love.

2. [Kushya from a baraita]

But is leprosy not a chastisement of love? Is it not taught: If a man has one of these four symptoms of leprosy, it is nothing else but an altar of atonement?

3. [Teirutz]

They are an altar of atonement, but they are not chastisements of love.

4. [Alternative teirutz]

If you like, I can say: This [teaching of the Baraitha] is ours [in Babylonia], and that [saying of R. Johanan] is theirs [in Palestine].

5. [Alternative teirutz]

If you like, I can say: This [teaching of the Baraitha] refers to hidden [leprosy], that [saying of R. Johanan] refers to a case of visible [leprosy].

6. [Another kushya of Rabbi Yochanan]

But is [the lack of] children not a chastisement of love? How is this to be understood? Shall I say that he had children and they died? Did not R. Johanan himself say: This is the bone of my tenth son?

7. [Teirutz]

Rather [say then] that the former saying refers to one who never had children, the latter to one who had children and lost them.

Section 8

1. [A Maaseh – anecdotal evidence]

R. Hiyya b. Abba fell ill and R. Johanan went in to visit him. He said to him: Are your sufferings welcome to you? He replied: Neither they nor their reward. He said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he raised him.

2. [Another maaseh]

R. Johanan once fell ill and R. Hanina went in to visit him. He said to him: Are your sufferings welcome to you? He replied: Neither they nor their reward. He said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he raised him.

3. [Kushya]

Why could not R. Johanan raise himself?

4. [Teirutz]

They replied: The prisoner cannot free himself from jail.

5. [Another maaseh]

R. Eleazar fell ill and R. Johanan went in to visit him. He noticed that he was lying in a dark room, and he bared his arm and light radiated from it. Thereupon he noticed that R. Eleazar was weeping, and he said to him: Why do you weep? Is it because you did not study enough Torah? Surely we learnt: The one who sacrifices much and the one who sacrifices little have the same merit, provided that the heart is directed to heaven. Is it perhaps lack of sustenance? Not everybody has the privilege to enjoy two tables.Is it perhaps because of [the lack of] children? This is the bone of my tenth son! — He replied to him: I am weeping on account of this beauty that is going to rot in the earth. He said to him: On that account you surely have a reason to weep; and they both wept. In the meanwhile he said to him: Are your sufferings welcome to you? — He replied: Neither they nor their reward. He said to him: Give me your hand, and he gave him his hand and he raised him.

Section 9

1. [Another maaseh on the subject of afflictions]

Once four hundred jars of wine belonging to R. Huna turned sour. Rab Judah, the brother of R. Sala the Pious, and the other scholars (some say: R. Adda b. Ahaba and the other scholars) went in to visit him and said to him: The master ought to examine his actions. He said to them: Am I suspect in your eyes? They replied: Is the Holy One, blessed be He, suspect of punishing without justice? — He said to them: If somebody has heard of anything against me, let him speak out. They replied: We have heard that the master does not give his tenant his [lawful share in the] vine twigs. He replied: Does he leave me any? He steals them all! They said to him: That is exactly what the proverb says: If you steal from a thief you also have a taste of it! He said to them: I pledge myself to give it to him [in the future].

2. [Possible ending of the story]

Some report that thereupon the vinegar became wine again;

3. [Another possible ending of the story]

Others that the vinegar went up so high that it was sold for the same price as wine.