There is another amazing Gemara (בבא מציעא פד.) which tells us that the suffering Rashbi and R' Elazar endured elevated them to a spiritual level that they could not have reached otherwise.
The Gemara tells us that Rebbi-R' Yehudah HaNasi-once came to the hometown of R' Elazar, the son of R' Shimon, when he was no longer alive, and enquired whether Rabbi Elazar left a son. He was answered in the affirmative, but the people then continued to tell him that this son unfortunately did not continue in the ways of his illustrious father and grandfather. They detailed the many grave transgressions he committed, and the sinfulness of his ways.
Rebbi approached this wayward son, Yoisi, and appointed him a rebbi. He gave him an esteemed position, one in which he would be referred to as one of the chachomim. He then selected one of his relatives to learn with him on a daily basis.
However, Yoisi repeatedly expressed his desire to return to his sinful ways. He continuously claimed that his yetzer hara did not allow him to keep learning and improving. His relative, however, urged him on, exclaiming that he had been granted a position like one of the chachomim; he was given a gold mantle and referred to as a Rabbi, how could he still fathom returning to his ignominious earlier deeds? In this manner he remained at his learning day after day, until one day he swore off his earlier sinful ways and promised never to return to them. Indeed, he then reached the level of the other great Tannoim.
Upon Yoisi's death, the chachomim decided to bury him near his illustrious father and grandfather. When they reached the maarah in which Rashbi and R' Elazar are buried they found a venomous snake blocking their entrance. The Chachomim demanded of the snake to move so that they can bury R' Yoisi near his holy father and grandfather, as befit his holy status. They called out "snake, snake open the way and let the son be laid to rest beside his father". However, the snake did not budge. People began speculating that perhaps, after all, he did not reach the exalted level of his predecessors and therefore he did not merit to be buried near them.
Right then a bas-kol emerged, clarifying the matter. The Heavenly voice proclaimed לא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁזֶּה גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה אֶלָּא זֶה הָיָה בְּצַעַר הַמְּעָרָה וְזֶה לֹא הָיָה בְּצַעַר הַמְּעָרָה! "It is not because they (Rashbi and R' Elazar) were greater than R' Yoisi, rather because the former had suffered the anguish of the cave and the latter did not." R' Yoisi was not actually less holy than his father, he had done a complete teshuvah and had reached exalted levels of Torah. However, there was a certain level which he could not attain - that which Rashbi and R' Elazar had reached as a result of suffering! The צַעַר הַמְּעָרָה transformed them into a different entity, one which could not be achieved without this holy suffering.
Surely it was not just the actual affliction, but the way in which they used it to completely devote themselves to Hashem and His Torah, which transformed them so. For suffering, when interpreted and utilized in the correct way, has the power to elevate one to untold heights. And though we should never actually ask for suffering, and in fact we daven that Hashem should spare us from pain, still, if it is ordained upon us, we must view it through a Torah lens.
We should know that suffering can be a catalyst to connect with Hashem on a level which may not be possible without. And we should work on accepting it with love and using it to grow spiritually in an authentic manner, one which can only be achieved with the clarity found in the isolation of suffering.
Only Through Suffering
Rashbi himself taught that all positive attainments can be acquired through suffering. שָׁלֹשׁ מַתָּנוֹת טוֹבוֹת נָתַן הַקָּבָּ"ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְכֻלָּם לֹא נְתָנָן אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי יִסּוּרִין (ברכות ה.) Rabbi Shimon said that "Hashem gave Yisroel three gifts, and all of them can only be acquired through suffering." These are Torah, Eretz Yisroel and Olam Haba. These three sublime pleasures can only come about through hardship.
Rabbi Akiva, the Rebbi of Rashbi, also expressed his belief that there are certain positive effects that can only come about as a result of suffering. The Gemara (סנהדרין קא.) tells us that when Rabbi Eliezer was sick, four chachomim came to visit him, Rabbi Akiva among them. The other three elders tried to comfort R' Eliezer in various ways, however Rabbi Akiva exclaimed חֲבִיבִין יִסּוּרִין, yissurim are beloved. Instead of distracting him from his awful pain, he put the pain into perspective. He expressed how precious pain could be, because as a result thereof one can merit to reach exalted levels.