Rabi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Someone who accepts suffering with happiness brings salvation to the world; as it says (Yeshayahu 64:4), “ַﬠֵשָׁוִּנְו םָעוֹל םֶהָבּ – In the merit of the tzaddikim, we experience salvation at all times.” (Ta’anis 8a)
One Who Anticipates Yeshuah — Brings Yeshuah
It is not natural for someone to be happy to be suffering. Still, he can be happy for the knowledge that his suffering is temporary and that it saves him from endless years of suffering. Anyone who believes this will certainly be happy, because he knows that his cries of pain are relatively momentary. The Hebrew word vai (Oy!) together with the word sha’ah (temporary) combine to form the word yeshuah.
(Based on Ben Yehoyada)
Giving Thanks to Hashem Brings Good Upon Us and Delays Suffering
When someone who has sinned experiences suffering and accepts it with love, agreeing that he deserves it, this becomes a shield for him, protecting him from many more yissurim that he really deserves. Moreover, when someone thanks Hashem for good things, he can feel confident that things will continue to be good.
(Based on Shaarei Teshuvah, Rabbenu Yonah, 4:12)
Softening Harsh Judgments
Anger results from sin, and sin results from anger. When a person sins, Hashem becomes angry at him, and this is a cue for the satan to immediately cause that person to sin again. This is the meaning of Chazal’s teaching that one sin leads to another – the first sin brings Hashem’s anger, and that anger drags him to another sin. How can we break this cycle and bring yeshuah? The pasuk answers that it happens in the merit of tzaddikim who perform mitzvos with joy, and even when the Blessed Holy One brings suffering upon them they accept it with love. This softens the attribute of judgment and rectifies the entire world.
(Based on Eis L’chanenah, Rav Moshe Dovid Wali)
To Cancel Heaven’s Decrees
I heard from the Baal Shem Tov that the world was created with the Divine attribute of judgment. The pain and suffering that a person experiences are actually the basis for his spiritual existence in this world. When someone accepts suffering with love and joy, he connects his body with his neshamah, empowering his spiritual side. This cancels the effects of the attribute of judgment. Therefore, my advice is to fulfill the mitzvah of “V’ahavta es Hashem Elokecha.” One should happily accept Elokecha – the Divine attribute of judgment, connecting it to the attribute of Divine mercy through one’s love for Hashem.
(Based on Toldos Yaakov Yosef)
