Jewish World Review Sept. 20, 2007 / 8 Tishrei 5768,

Divine vindictiveness?

By Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz

A spiritual misconception debunked

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The Midrash (Eicha Rabbah 1:48) relates the story of Miriam, the daughter of Baysus Nachtom (the baker), who was taken captive by the Romans and was ransomed by the Jewish community in the Israeli town of Acco.

The Jews who saved her from her captors gave her a garment to wear, since she had nothing of her own. She went to wash the garment in the ocean, but while she was washing it, a strong wave came and snatched it away from her. The Jewish community bought her a replacement, but when she went to wash that garment, a wave carried it away, as well.

The community offered to purchase a third one, but Miriam refused, saying, "Let my creditor [G-d] collect the debt I owe him." The Matanos Kehunah explains her words to mean, "Let G-d collect the debt of my sins from me, and since this is His will — that I should not have a garment — I will not be stubborn against Him, and I will accept His judgment with love." As soon as she accepted upon herself the Divine judgment, the Midrash concludes, G-d signaled to the ocean, and it returned her garments to her.

WHAT CHANGED THE SITUATION?
Despite her tragic situation, Miriam acknowledged the justice of the Divine decree. She searched her spiritual accounts and found herself lacking in merits. As punishment for her sins, she felt that she deserved to be deprived of her garment. The question arises: If she didn't deserve to have the garment, what changed the situation? The Midrash doesn't say she did teshuvah (repentance). Rather that she accepted her fate. What, then, caused G-d to retract the punishment that she had coming to her, and which she agreed was proper?

There is a popular misconception that when G-d decrees a punishment upon a person, it is a form of retribution, a Divine vengeance to "pay back" the sinner for his misdeeds. In reality, G-d has no need to take revenge on a human being. He is merely trying to teach the person to acknowledge and correct flaws. That is why G-d punishes with middah keneged middah — measure for measure — to help a person understand why the punishment is meted out, and to pinpoint the sin he needs to rectify.

It is a message to the sinner to change his ways. Once the person "gets the message" and realizes the reason for his suffering, there is often no more need for the punishment. True, there may be other reasons for suffering; for example, to expiate one's sins in this world and thereby avoid the harsher punishments in the Next. However, the humble acceptance of G-d's will, based on the recognition of one's spiritual shortcomings, can itself be the key to the negation of the punishment.

THE DIVINE HAS NO NEED TO TAKE REVENGE
On the other hand, a person who doesn't tune in to the message may need a higher dose of suffering to shake him up and awaken him to the fact that G-d loves him and therefore is trying to communicate the need for self-improvement. People who have this spiritual block often can be heard complaining, "Why me? What did I do to de- serve this suffering? Life [i.e., G-d] is so cruel to me!" These people, ironically, can be inflicting more pain upon themselves by their stubborn refusal to recognize their faults and misdeeds.

As we stand before G-d in judgment, we examine our deeds and find them wanting. We desperately look for some way to free ourselves from the mire of our sins and eliminate the suffering that they can cause. Of course, repentance is the proper response. Even the very first step, however, can accomplish a great deal, if we can simply humble ourselves to accept G-d's judgment and declare, "I have no claims against You, G-d. I deserve whatever you have decreed upon me, and I want to start the path to repentance and return to You."

This simple, humble statement may be all that is necessary to enable the Heavenly Court to decide that this person got the message — suffering is no longer required.

Like Miriam bas Baysus of our story, we can end our misery and regain all that we have lost, if we accept G-d's merciful decree with love.

May this year be the one in which each one of us as individuals — and our entire nation as a whole — finds the humility to acknowledge our mistakes, accept the Divine justice, and bring an end to the pain and anguish of our people, with the complete redemption and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple speedily in our days.