Dear H-Town-
I am currently engaged in an on-line discussion that focuses on diverse definitions of intelligence and its application in Jewish education. The discussion is based on an article from the psychologist Robert Sternberg. Click Here For Article if you find this topic interesting.
Dear H-Town-
Today I was discussing with my class the very complicated question of “Why do bad things happen to good people?” While I feel there are many ways to try to answer this question, I read an article that took a step back and asked whether we should really know the answer. I shared this article with my class and we had a very engaging discussion. Now I would like to share it with you. Enjoy.
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
By Aron Moss
Question:
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is this world so unfair? Please don’t tell me “We can’t understand G‑d’s ways.” I am sick of hearing that. I want an explanation.
Answer:
Are you sure you want an explanation? Do you really want to know why the innocent suffer? I think not. You are far better off with the question than with an answer.
You are bothered by the fact that people suffer undeservedly. As you should be. Any person with an ounce of moral sensitivity is outraged by the injustices of our world. Abraham, the first Jew, asked G-d, “Should the Judge of the whole world not act fairly?” Moses asked, “Why have You treated this people badly?” And today we still ask, “Why G‑d, why?”
But what if we found the answer? What if someone came along and gave us a satisfying explanation? What if the mystery were finally solved? What if we asked why, and actually got an answer?
If this ultimate question were answered, then we would be able to make peace with the suffering of innocents. And that is unthinkable. Worse than innocent people suffering is others watching their suffering unmoved. And that’s exactly what would happen if we were to understand why innocents suffer. We would no longer be bothered by their cry, we would no longer feel their pain, because we would understand why it is happening.
Imagine you are in a hospital and you hear a woman screaming with pain. Outside her room, her family is standing around chatting, all smiling and happy. You scream at them, “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you hear how much pain she is in?” They answer, “This is the delivery ward. She is having a baby. Of course we are happy.”
When you have an explanation, pain doesn’t seem so bad anymore. We can tolerate suffering when we know why it is happening.
And so, if we could make sense of innocent people suffering, if we could rationalise tragedy, then we could live with it. We would be able to hear the cry of sweet children in pain and not be horrified. We would tolerate seeing broken hearts and shattered lives, for we would be able to neatly explain them away. Our question would be answered, and we could move on.
But as long as the pain of innocents remains a burning question, we are bothered by its existence. And as long as we can’t explain pain, we must alleviate it. If innocent people suffering does not fit into our worldview, we must eradicate it. Rather than justifying their pain, we need to get rid of it.
So keep asking the question, why do bad things happen to good people. But stop looking for answers. Start formulating a response. Take your righteous anger and turn it into a force for doing good. Redirect your frustration with injustice and unfairness and channel it into a drive to fight injustice and unfairness. Let your outrage propel you into action. When you see innocent people suffering, help them. Combat the pain in the world with goodness. Alleviate suffering wherever you can.
We don’t want answers, we don’t want explanations, and we don’t want closure. We want an end to suffering. And we dare not leave it up to G-d to alleviate suffering. He is waiting for us to do it. That’s what we are here for.
Rabbi Aron Moss teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia.
Dear H-Town,
I was planning to go to the most unusual and special Jewish Orthodox wedding yesterday when it got even stranger. It was suddenly pushed up four hours earlier because the bride was in labor. This is odd for any wedding and certainly one within Jewish Orthodox circles. It was another amazing moment that could only occur in here in H-Town. Let me explain.
Yesterday was the wedding of a wonderful couple who was converting to Judaism. Given that the couple was having an Orthodox conversion , it was necessary to have a Jewish Orthodox wedding. They had been previously legally married and were expecting their first child, hence the pregnant bride. The wedding was planned for 5:30pm. However, as my Rabbi used to yell at me, “Man Plans and G-d Laughs” and boy did G-d have a chuckle. The bride went into labor early in the day and, to ensure the child was not born out of Jewish wedlock, we all scrambled to get the couple married before there was more than a glass broken under the Chupah (wedding canopy). And scrambled we did and a wedding was had.
Given the unusual circumstances, I have to say it was one of the most beautiful weddings I had ever been to (minus my own of course). For one, as strange as this wedding might have seemed, it included the Jewish wedding ceremonies and blessings that have been performed for generations, reminding us how all of us are more alike than different. Also, I have never seen a couple with such big smiles and a community dedicated to ensuring this couple happiness on their special day. On top of that, a few hours later, there was the news of a brand new baby girl. HAPPY HONEYMOON!
To the newly married again couple, welcome to the Jewish people. To the new baby, welcome to H-Town. Mazel Tov!
The Chupah
Dear H-Town-
Today I was shopping in Wal-Mart looking over the ingredients of a jar of pickles the size of a large honey dew when a extremely tall African-American lady across the isle shouted “Happy Birthday!” Now, my birthday is not till December and I am pretty sure I did not know this lady, so I was curious. I responded with a polite “huh?” She again said “Happy Birthday” and proceeded to explain , while looking at my Yarmalkah (Jewish cap), that it is “Genevas” birthday. At first I thought maybe she was expressing her support for the UN’s attempts to evoke the Fourth Geneva Convention on Rules of War against Israel, but she seemed genuinely festive, so I just gave an obvious look of confusion. That prompted her to rethink her greeting and then said, “Sorry, I mean happy birthday for Tel Aviv.” Then I realized that she was actually talking about Israel after all.
Tonight is Yom Yerushayim, the commemoration of the day Israel got back control over the old city in 1967. I quickly explained to my new found budding Zionist friend that she must mean “Happy Birthday” for Jerusalem to which she acknowledged and agreed. I thanked her, gave her my address to send me a birthday present as a Jerusalem representative, and took my jar of pickles and a smile to the checkout line.
The real point of this story is how cool is it that someone who was not Jewish and did not know me wanted to express joy over a day that most Jews don’t even think about or even know exists. However, it is a very important day. It is day that should remind us what we are fighting for in Israel every day and, in the spirit of this experience, what a gift Jerusalem really is. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JERUSALEM (and geneva whoever you are)!
Dear H-Town-
I have been very busy getting ready for a school retreat this week. However, the planning is over and we have arrived. I am looking out an office window and looking at lush trees, grass and wildlife. There is a lake down the road and nature all around me. This is going to be a great Shabbos. When I return, I have to catch H-Town up with some exciting news. Let’s just say wayne brady has nothing on me. If you are not sure who wayne brady is, you probably won’t care about my next post.
Dear H-Town-
So, I was just going through some of my spam, which I sometime do in search of interesting e-mails or cheap deals on experimental medications claming to enhance my memory or toenail growth. Anyway, I found this one from Song Li Le:
Hello,
Good day, My name is Mr. Song Li, I work with the Hang Seng Bank,I have a business proposal in the tune of $19.5m to be transferred to an
Offshore account with your assistance if you are interested.Send me the following:
Full names,
Private phone number,
Current residential address (The he would send me details the e-mail goes on to say)
I mean come on! Who would not be interested in 19.5 million dollars? I would be crazy not to e-mail him back. How lucky I am that he found my information, or at least my e-mail address as he clearly does not have my name, number or address. However, I really am not sure what I would do with all that money. I better pass on this one. If it was closer to 15 million, I would be more comfortable, but 19.5 is just a bit greedy on my part. Good luck Song Li Le!
Dear H-Town-
Hey! The H-Town Keilim Mikvah is open at the Chabad on Portal. I had given up hope and thought I would have to start taking my pots and pans to the local Bayou. Anyway, it is good to hear it is opne. It will be a nice addition to our growing Jewish community. Click here for more info.
Dear H-Town-
It seems that patient zero of the recent swine flu epidmeic has been identified. If you see the child in the picture below please report to the CDC.
Swine Flu Patient Zero.
