Hardships for our Benefit

There is a story in חובות הלבבות, Duties of the Heart, that is very appropriate to the Pesach season.

There was a philanthropist who did two separate acts of Chesed. The first case involved taking on an abandoned baby. This baby was cared for until he reached adulthood and was able to manage on his own.

The second case involved the philanthropist paying to free a Jew in prison, who was wrongly accused. He was horribly abused by his captors. He was rehabilitated by this kind Jew for a few years, until he fully recovered from his ordeal.

The חובות הלבבות writes that the freed captive was able to show far more gratitude and appreciation than the abandoned baby. The baby never really had to face real hardship. He was grateful that a stranger took him in and raised him for many years.

But the freed prisoner was far more appreciative even though his care was much shorter. He tasted real suffering which allowed his freedom to be that much more sweeter.

The slavery in Egypt was necessary to appreciate our freedom. Similarly, we believe that we grow from the difficulties we go through. And it is likely that Hashem sends challenges our way to mold us into better and more productive human beings.