Good Things For Good People!
Chovot Halevavot: If a person will say: We do see some righteous people whose sustenance only becomes available to them after much hard work and toil, while we find many sinners who are at peace and live good and pleasant lives….
This matter is merely commented on in general terms, when it says (Deuteronomy 29:28): The hidden things belong to the L-rd, our G-d, but the revealed things apply to us and to our children. Similarly, the wise man, King Solomon, said (Ecclesiastes 5:7): If you see oppression of the poor and deprivation of justice and righteousness in the province, wonder not about the matter. And the verse says (Deuteronomy 32:4): The deeds of the [Mighty] Rock are perfect, for all His ways are just (Gate of Trust, ch. 3).
The Story:
Written by Shterna Korf
There was once a man named Reb Dovid, who had a question. Why is it that sometimes good things happen to bad people, and bad things to good people?
This Reb Dovid was a holy man. He would occasionally get a very special visitor named Eliyahu Hanavie, Elijah the prophet. Reb Dovid decided to ask this important question to his special guest.
That night, Eliyahu Hanavie revealed himself to Reb Dovid. After they shared some Torah thoughts, Reb Dovid decided he would ask his question. Before he could ask his question, Eliyahu suddenly spoke up, “Come with me, Dovid. I want to go visit the Jews and see how they do what their forefather, Abraham did.I want to see how they treat guests. Let’s dress as beggars and knock on people's doors. No matter what you see Dovid, I want you to hold your questions.”
Eliyahu Hanavie gazed at him intensely. Reb Dovid nodded. Eliyahu Hanavie motioned to Reb Dovid to follow him outside. A wagon was waiting for them. Reb Dovid followed Eliyahu Hanavie onto the wagon, curious to see what would happen. The journey took a long time, but they spent it busy with Torah study. A few times, Reb Dovid brought up his burning question, but Eliyahu Hanavie just dismissed it. They arrived at a run-down, rickety house that looked like it wasn’t going to be standing for much longer. Eliyahu Hanavie and Reb Dovid exited the wagon and knocked on the door.
A kind farmer and his wife answered. “Oh, I love it when we have guests!” the wife exclaimed joyfully. The kind man ushered them inside. They served their guests some milk.
“I apologize for the lack of food,” the man said. “ Unfortunately, the only money we make is from the milk we sell from our only cow. If not for that, we wouldn’t be able to put anything on the table.” Eliyahu Hanavie nodded understandingly. After they ate, they went off to bed.
Reb Dovid was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of Eliyahu Hanavie sneaking outside into the barn. Reb Dovid wondered where he might have gone, but knew he promised not to ask questions. Eliyahu Hanavie came back a few minutes later and went back to bed.
They were woken up by the sounds of people talking and the farmer’s wife wailing. They quickly got out of bed and went to see what was the cause of the commotion. The old woman cried, “The cow died! Our only occupation, making milk, is gone! How will we put food on the table?”
Reb Dovid looked at Eliyahu Hanavie intensely, as if asking, “Why them? My question still stands.” Eliyahu Hanavie shook his head, reminding him of his promise not to ask questions. Eliyahu Hanavie went over to the old couple, blessed them, and headed out the door.
Reb Dovid sadly followed Eliyahu Hanavie to the wagon, wishing there was something he could do to help the kind couple. He had a feeling that the purpose of their journey was to find an answer to his question of why bad things happen to good people.
They continued their travels and stopped at a nearby town for the night. They saw many people of different professions walking about. “What’s the occasion? Where are you all headed?” Reb Dovid asked a passing townsperson.
“Soon is the wedding of the daughter of Moshe Shulman! I see you are beggars. Moshe is rich, but now is not a good time to ask him for money.”
Now, Dovid knew who this man was. Everyone in the Jewish community in those days has heard about him. This man was a miser. He was very rich but had no patience for the poor people of his town. They would come to beg for money and Moshe would angrily send them away. He would exclaim, “Why do I need to give them money? They can get their own! Let them get a job and do something with their sorry lives!”
“We want to celebrate with him. We will go to Moshe” Eliyahu Hanavie replied. Reb Dovid apprehensively walked toward Moshe's house, hoping to be provided with a place to stay and food to eat. After all, there was a wedding being celebrated! That means plenty of food.
As usual, Moshe had no patience or time for our two friends. He treated them with disrespect and disgust. He grudgingly agreed to give them someplace to sleep after they begged and pleaded. He showed them towards the barn and, muttering to himself about stupid beggars, let them sleep there for the night. They did not sleep very well in the cold barn.
The next morning, they noticed a gaping hole in the wall. “That’s why it was cold in here!” they exclaimed. Eliyahu Hanavie saw some tools in the corner of the barn and told Reb Dovid to help him fix up the hole. Not understanding, and knowing he couldn’t ask why, Reb Dovid unenthusiastically helped Eliyahu Hanavie fix it up.
Moshe Korganovitch came soon after and sent them right out of the barn. There was no way he was going to let two strangers stay on his property, even if it was his barn. He didn’t even thank them for fixing the wall.
Now Reb Dovid had enough. He felt he needed answers. As soon as they got back into the wagon, he exclaimed, “Enough is enough! I need an answer! Why did a bad thing, the cow dying, have to happen to two very good people? They didn’t deserve that! And Eliyahu, why did you insist we help the miser? He didn’t deserve that either! Please explain it to me!” he pleaded.
Eliyahu Hanavie smiled. He calmly answered an anxious Reb Dovid. “My dear Dovid. Now you will understand why I took you on this journey. After we ate dinner at the kind couple’s house, I heard the sounds of the Angel of Death outside the home. I stepped out to find out where he was headed, and he said he was going to kill the farmer's wife. I begged him to hold back, but he wouldn’t listen. I finally convinced him to take the cow's life instead. The next day, when I blessed them, they didn’t know that at that moment, another cow was heading their way. They would find it and take care of it. G-d will also bless them with a child, for which they have been praying for a long time.”
“What about the miser?”
“Patience, my dear Reb Dovid. When we came into the barn, I saw there was a treasure hidden in the walls by a man who lived there previously. The miser is so stingy with his money that instead of hiring someone to fix the barn, he would have done it himself. He would have discovered the treasure if we hadn't fixed the wall. Not only that, but his daughter will die before her wedding, and he will become a beggar.”
Dovid now finally got his answer. He understood that yes, G-d acts in mysterious ways. But everything has a purpose. Nothing happens for no reason. He has a plan, and it is the mission of a Jew to believe and understand that. To live by it. To realize that when you see something or experience something that seems wrong or unfair, there is more to the story. Just turn to G-d. Remember, you are in good hands.
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