Page 42 - HaMizrachi # 21 Tisha B'Av 2020 USA

GENERAL INTEREST

Rabbi Dov Lipman

Understanding Suffering

s parents, we love our chil- nutritious, inviting grain. He then transformed it into dirt!” Again, he
dren. We will do anything watched in shock as the farmer was told to be patient.
Aand sacrifice immensely to walked up and down the furrows
make them happy and to show them dropping the kernels into the open The farmer put the dust into sacks,
our love. And yet, if our children do ground and then covering the ker- brought it home, took some dust,
something wrong, we punish them. nels with clods of soil. mixed it with water, and formed it
It is not an easy thing to do, but we into the shape of a loaf. The visitor
know it is best for our child in the “Are you crazy?” he said. “First you saw the perfectly formed loaf and
long run. destroyed your field and now you was happy. But then the farmer lit
ruined the grain?” the fire in the oven and put the loaf
The fact that the most tragic time into it leading the visitor to scream,
in the Jewish calendar falls in a “Be patient. You will see,” came the “It’s official. You are insane. After all
month called Av (father) is not a answer. that work, you just burned what you
coincidence. It reminds us that even Time went by, and the farmer took made!” The farmer replied again,
though we don’t understand why we his guest out to the field where he “Did I not tell you to be patient?”
suffer so much and we do not see saw straight rows of green stalks
any possible good that can come sprouting up from all the furrows. Finally, the farmer opened the oven
from it, G-d is our Av, our Father The visitor smiled and commented, and took out freshly baked bread
who loves us. He would not decree “Now I understand what you were with an aroma that made the vis-
suffering or allow horrible things doing. You made the field more itor’s mouth water. The farmer
to happen to us if it was not for our beautiful than ever. The art of farm- sliced a piece for the visitor and
future good. ing is truly spectacular.” as he watched the guest enjoy the
During the Holocaust, Rav “No,” replied the farmer. “We are not bread, the farmer said, “Now you
Elchanan Wasserman answered his done. You must still be patient.” understand.”
students’ questions about why they “G-d is the Farmer,” Rav Elchanan
were suffering with the following More time went by and when the explained. “We are visitors who do
parable: stalks were fully grown the farmer
took a sickle and chopped them all not understand the process. But
“A man asked a farmer to teach him down. The visitor stood in stunned when the process is complete and
about farming. The farmer took him silence as the stunning field became the final Redemption comes, we will
to his field and asked him what he an ugly scene of destruction. He understand it all.”
saw. “I see a beautiful piece of land, thought maybe things were turn-
lush with grass, and pleasing to the ing for the better when he saw the Our loving Father has blessed us
eye.” Then the visitor was stunned as farmer bind the stalks into bundles to return to the Land of Israel and
he watched the farmer plow under and decorated the field with them. with the creation of the State of
the grass, turning the beautiful But then he was bewildered again Israel – showing us that the final
green field into a mass of shallow seeing the farmer beating and crush- Redemption is on the way. As we
brown ditches. ing the bundles until they became mourn this Tisha B’Av, may we be
a mass of straw and loose kernels. comforted knowing that G-d is our
“Why did you ruin the field?” he The visitor learned not to get excited Av and that when the final Redemp-
asked. when he saw the farmer separate tion arrives we will understand how
“Be patient. You will see,” said the the kernels from the chaff and piled all of our sufferings are because of
farmer. the grain into a huge hill. And sure His love for the Jewish people.
enough, the farmer then took the
The farmer then showed his guest beautiful grain to a mill where he
a bag sack full of plump kernels of ground it up into dust. The visi- Rabbi Dov Lipman is a former MK and the
wheat and asked, “What do you tor could not hold back and com- author of seven books about Judaism and
see?” The visitor described the plained: “You have taken grain and Israel

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