Dealing With Suffering

Parshat מצורע seems to dwell on the suffering and rehabilitation of the leper. Although it appears that he is paying for the sin of Lashon Hara, the question of why people suffer in this world, continues to be addressed.

The key to dealing with life’s challenges comes from our ability to achieve הכנעה, complete surrender to Hashem. If we are able to accept that He is running the world, and everything He does is just, even if we don’t understand why, we will be better off in the long run.

There is a Midrash that points this out where Hashem is thinking how Yakov Avinu is reading things wrong. He says to Himself, “ Why is he crying for his son, Yosef? If he understood that I am busy making him the viceroy of Egypt, he wouldn’t be crying.”

Suffering is often a wake up call. When we suffer, our focus on life and what is truly important, may change.

A psychoanalyst once said, “Out of suffering come the strongest souls.” Suffering will always remain a mystery. But faith in G-d is the cure.

The leper may go through a long period of soul searching during his quarantine, but he is likely to come out a better man, because of his experience.