YONATAN HAMBOURGER: Putting God on trial

When he was 15 years old and a prisoner in Auschwitz, Eli Wiesel watched as three Jewish scholars put God on trial for cruelty and betrayal of the Jewish people. They could find no excuse for God, no extenuating circumstances, so they found Him guilty. After the verdict, Wiesel said there was silence, and then they all sat down to evening prayers. The boy himself would survive the Holocaust and go on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and become known as the conscience of the post-Holocaust world.

In this story lies the key to navigating the pain of seeming injustices and unfairness in our own lives, in the lives of those we care for, and in the world at large, those times that beg the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

Moses asks this question to God, straight up in the book of Exodus (5:22-23), “Why have You done evil to this people? Why have you sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done worse to this nation; and you have not saved Your people.” God proceeds to assure Moses that it will all turn out well for the Children of Israel, but He doesn’t answer the “why” question.

Whereas some Biblical commentators suggest that questioning God was a failing on Moses’ part, others, including the Lubavitcher Rebbe say Moses’ questioning was an act of faith of the highest order. The Rebbe said that crying out, “Why have You done evil?” can only come from the mouth of a true believer. A non-believer can only shrug his shoulders at the universe.

The lesson for us is that there are times we should confront God and ask why there is evil and suffering in the world. But we must understand that the question is more valuable than the answer. For if God were to make you understand why innocent people suffer, you might come to terms with it and then be unphased by other people’s pain? After all, it would now make sense.

So, the real answer is to keep asking the question — why bad things happen to good people — but with no expectation of an explanation. Instead redirect your passion to the plight of afflicted people.

Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement of Judaism, said there are times when trusting in God is forbidden. He explained that while trust is a great virtue in one’s own life, relying on it in matters concerning other people’s lives is a sin. If you hear about someone in need and just say “God will provide,” you’re neglecting your responsibility toward your fellow human beings.

But how should we cope if, God forbid, the suffering is up close and personal? The Bible dedicates 41 chapters to the archetypal righteous man of suffering, Job, presenting various intriguing explanations only to debunk them all. The ultimate conclusion is that finite humans cannot comprehend the ways of God.

Perhaps we can find solace in a parable related by the late Rabbi Abraham Twerski about a mother who takes her toddler to the doctor. The doctor prepares to give the child an injection. The kid doesn’t make it easy for the doctor, squirming and trying to get away until the mom has to hold the child down while the doctor administers the injection. All throughout, the kid is screaming and shouting.

Not a minute later, the child buries his face in mom’s arms, desperately seeking solace in her embrace. But why? Wasn’t mom an accomplice when she held him down while the doctor attacked him? Why does this child suddenly find comfort in her arms?

Inherent in every child is the certainty that his or her mother holds the deepest love for them, desiring only their best. Even after brief periods of uncertainty, the profound loving connection between mother and child is promptly restored.

Our Heavenly Father’s relationship with us mirrors this dynamic. At times, we might experience fear or frustration and ask why He permits dreadful misfortunes.

Nonetheless, we remain aware that His love for us is genuine and unwavering. After all, we’re His children. Like the solace a child finds in his or her mother’s embrace, we too find consolation in acknowledging and believing that God loves us unconditionally.

Reach Rabbi Yonatan Hambourger at: [email protected]