The Hurt & the Hope

"And we cried out to Hashem, & He heard our voice & saw our suffering…& He redeemed us." (Pesach Hagada)

The Jewish People languished in slavery & degradation for more than a century. Coming as it did, following a long period of comfortable living in Goshen, Avdut Mitzrayim must surely have been unbearable for them. At some point, no doubt, the Israelites must have had one of two rather depressing thoughts about G-d: Either He is powerless – if He exists at all; or He is cruel, & He wants us to suffer.

And yet, we still cried out to Hashem. Somehow, rather than blame Hashem for our sad state of affairs, we reached out to Him & looked to Him to save us. This tremendous reservoir of faith was surprising even to Moshe, who had doubts that we would believe G-d when He said He would free us. How can we explain this unshakeable quality of trust & faith that is embedded in our DNA?

The late Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski relates that he once had an epiphany while watching a mother bring her young child to the doctor. The moment that the child saw the doctor’s familiar white coat, he remembered past experiences and started to scream & run away. He was even more panic-stricken when the doctor took out a syringe. As his mother held him down, he kicked & clawed at her, desperately trying to get loose.

But when the shot was over, the child instinctively hugged his mother & even thanked the doctor for helping him to feel better. Deep down, instinctively, he knew that they both were there to help him, & not to hurt him.

So it is with us & G-d. We can’t understand why we sometimes suffer, any more than that child could understand. But our faith is such that even when we angrily protest, we are innately aware that Hashem is a loving mother & a healing doctor. And so we cry & cling to Him.

Last week, I lost a dear friend of mine. My first reaction was to question Hashem & to ask, "Why? What was the point in taking such a wonderful person, who helped so many others throughout his too-short life?" But when some of the grief subsided, my faith system kicked in, & I thanked Hashem for having given life to someone so special. And I asked Hashem to receive him in Gan Eden.

The Hagada graphically details the horrendous suffering we endured in Egypt, but boldly declares, "Blessed is He who keeps His promise to Israel." Yes, the Maror, with its bitterness, is part & parcel of our Seder, & we fully acknowledge it. But in the end, we pray & we praise G-d with Hallel & declare these undying words of complete faith: L’Shana Haba’a B’Yerushalayim!