I got this message this morning from Chabad.org, and it impacted me. Over the past few days the thought of cancer has been firmly on my mind, between Mother’s Day, my game in progress, and news from a few people I follow on Twitter who are going through their own ordeals at the moment and whom I wish them strength. This message speaks to all of this:
Inexplicable Justice
By Tzvi Freeman
Not all suffering can be explained. There is pain, sometimes, that is not punishment and not repair.
True, we were given Torah, a G-dly wisdom containing the secrets of all things. But concerning these things even Moses asked and was told to be quiet, to cease to ask. Because there are some things that even G-dly wisdom does not explain. Because they cannot be explained.
We can only know that whatever happens is from G-d, that G-d is just, and that He does not desire suffering.
But until the end of days, we will have to suffer the ‘why’.
I can’t claim to understand all of it. I can’t claim to say I’m fine with it all the time. But I accept it. I accept it because I do believe that all that happens is G-d’s doing and that ultimately it is all for good, even if my limited understanding is not enough to see how. I rage against the dying of the light, but in the end I let the light go as is His will.
To those who are going through their own ordeals, maybe this will give you some measure of strength. Maybe not. But it is something that we should keep in mind all the time.
Gam zu l’tovah. This is also for good.
Daniel M. Perez 
As you might know (Yvi knows, but not sure we’ve ever discussed it), my relationship to the Creator is complicated and not entirely strong these days. I believe that one day I’ll return to a stronger faith relationship, but in the meantime, it does inspire me to see you actively working your faith. I don’t think I’m explaining myself well here, but just know that these posts bring me hope, even though our beliefs are different (and mine are so random and unfocused).
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Ascribed to a religion as I might be, I go through those bouts myself, and some quite recently. Faith is not a static situation; it’s a struggle, a hard and nasty struggle at times, of the kind that leaves bruised elbows and scrapped knees. And that’s just fine. And to some even proper. Having belief and having faith are two different things, and sometimes they stand at odds.
All I’m saying is that random and unfocused is ok. To me, it’s better than absent/non-existent. As for them being different, even my wife’s and my own are different. I’ve learned not to judge there (and yeah, that’s another lesson learned with age).
Onward.
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Great post, excellent comments. Helps me get my head back in the game. I used to spend too much time thinking and not enough time doing. Now I’m doing so much that I hardly ever take the time to think. Thanks for pulling me back toward some useful wisdom-thinking.
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@Mick Bradley
No prob. Achieving that balance is tricky, so it’s always something to keep track of.
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