There is another explanation for בצדק עמיתך תשפוט, written by the Baalei HaTosfos. They explain that the pasuk refers to Hashem, urging us to judge Hashem favorably. Sometimes, we don't understand Hashem's ways, why hardships befall good people, and the like. The Torah obligates us to judge עמיתך, which refers to Hashem, favorably and to believe that it is all for the good. When one does so, the malachim in heaven praise him.
Rebbe Shayele Kerestirer zt'l (yahrzeit on the 3rd of Iyar) was a student of the Divrei Chaim of Tzanz zt'l. After the Divrei Chaim's petirah (on the 25th of Nisan 5636), Rebbe Shayele would travel to his rebbe's kever on the yahrzeit. One year, Reb Shayele was already old and frail, and his gabbaim recommended that he travel to Tzanz by horse and wagon rather than with the many people who flocked to Tzanz by train. Reb Shayele wouldn't hear of it, saying that taking the train was more economical. He explained that the money he saved could go to tzedakah.
When people discovered that Rebbe Shayele was on the train with them, they went over to him with kvitlach and money, as customary. They wanted to receive his brachos. But there were other chashuve people on the train, and some were jealous of all the honor that Rebbe Shayele received. Due to the large crowd on the train, someone accidentally stepped on Reb Shayele's foot, which became infected. Rebbe Shayele attributed the infection to the ayin hara, the jealousy of others.
For the return trip, the gabbaim again tried to convince Rebbe Shayele to take a taxi home now that he was wounded and ill. But once again, he refused, and they traveled home by train. Due to the infection, a few weeks afterward, he was niftar. Rebbe Shayele said throughout these final weeks that it was all because of the ayin hara, due to all the honor he received. He added, "Last year, we went to Tzanz for the yahrzeit, and I also received an ayin hara, but due to our frustration on the way back, the ayin hara was canceled." The previous year, on their way back, the border police checked their passports, and the gabbaim were caught with false papers. This distress saved the rebbe from the ayin hara.
We don’t know how much good we are gaining when we experience difficulties. It seems like a tzarah, but it might just be what was needed to bring his salvation. The lesson is that we should judge Hashem favorably, עמיתך תשפוט בצדק. Don't question Hashem's ways. Sometimes, people suffer hardships; they don't know why, but it is all for our good. It could be saving us from much greater troubles.
Reb Chaim Vital zt'l said that if a person had sechel, he would seek to receive shame because shame doesn’t affect a person’s health and saves him from so much trouble.
It states in this week's parashah (Kedoshim 19:3), תראו ואביו אמו איש, "Every man shall fear his mother and his father." Chazal tell us that one of the ways we express our fear to our parents is במקומו יושב לא, that we don't sit in their places. We are also obligated to fear Hashem, as it states (Devarim 13:6) תירא אלקיך 'ה את. The Sfas Emes says that this also means that we shouldn't sit in Hashem's place. Hashem decides how to lead the world. We don't always understand. We sometimes think we would do things differently had we been running the world, but we mustn't try to sit in Hashem's place. We must trust that Hashem knows best and leads the world in the best possible way.
It states (Tehillim 89): אמונתך אף 'ה פלאך שמים ויודו קדשים בקהל. The Yismach Yisrael says that אף means anger, representing the times when Hashem's anger is evident in the world and people suffer. Someone may need a shidduch, be ill, or not have parnassah, etc. It is difficult to have emunah at these times because we don't understand Hashem’s ways. Even so, the Jewish nation strengthens itself and its belief in Hashem, realizing that Hashem leads the world in the best way.
Klal Yisrael went through very difficult periods r”l. There was the generation of the Holocaust and of other painful times in our history. And even during those challenging times, Klal Yisrael remained firm in their belief in Hashem, and knew that Hashem’s judgment was correct. They knew that even then Hashem loved them and desired only their good.
Malachim stand in awe at the emunah of the Jewish nation. They consider it wondrous that the Jewish nation can believe in Hashem even through suffering and praise Hashem even when they go through the most challenging times. This is implied in the words קדשים בקהל אמונתך ...פלאך שמים וידו. The malachim praise Your wonders... the wonders of the Jewish nation who believe in Hashem even at these times.
Chazal (Brachos 60) say, and it is written in Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 230:5): אדם יהא לעולם עביד לטב רחמנא דעביד מה כל ,לומר רגיל, "A person should accustom himself to say, 'Everything Hashem does is for the good.'" This phrase is in Aramaic. Why isn't it said in lashon hakodesh?
We can explain it with an idea from Tosfos (Brachos 3): "People say that the kaddish is said in Aramaic because it is a beautiful prayer and a great praise. It was established in Aramaic, so the malachim shouldn’t understand it and be jealous of us." Therefore, we can similarly explain that it was established that we should say מה כל עביד לטב רחמנא דעביד in Aramaic because this is a great praise to Hashem and a great wonder. It expresses the greatness of the Jewish nation who believe in Hashem, even when they don't understand His ways. Malachim don't have this level because they don't suffer yesurim as we do. They don’t have the avodah of believing in Hashem through hardship and pain. To avoid the malachim's jealousy, we say the phrase that embodies our unwavering emunah in Hashem in Aramaic.
The Zohar states that there are three categories of tefillah mentioned in Tehillim. There is (90:1) למשה תפלה, and there is (86:1) תפלה לדוד, but the highest praise is (102:1) לעני תפלה. It states יעטף כי לעני תפלה, and the Zohar explains that the tefillos of the poor wrap and elevate all other tefillos. The most perfect tefillos are the tefillos of the poor.
The Tiferes Shlomo (Purim) explains that this is because the poor suffer but believe that it is all for the good. This belief makes them worthy that their tefillos should be answered. We quote the Tiferes Shlomo: "The Zohar praises the prayers of the poor. What is so special about these tefillos? They refer to when a person suffers from poverty and yet doesn't ask questions on Hashem. He believes that עביד לטב רחמנא דעביד מה כל everything is for the best. [When a person has this emunah], his tefillos break through all heavens."
The Zohar adds the pasuk אביונים אל שומע כי 'ה, that Hashem listens to the tefillos of the poor.
I heard from Reb Menachem Lunger n”y from Bnei Brak that thieves broke into his home one week when he and his family were away for Shabbos. They stole jewelry that he had inherited from his parents, jewelry that his daughter, a kallah, had recently received from her future in-laws, and one hundred thousand shekels, which he had just borrowed from a gmach to cover the expenses of his daughter’s upcoming chasunah.
When they arrived home, his wife saw the overturned home. Being a very organized person, just seeing the overturned home itself was painful for her. Not to mention the tremendous financial loss they had just incurred. She said to Hashem, "Only you know my broken heart. Only You know how I feel now. But despite everything, I believe that it was bashert. I believe that it is for the good. And I request that in the merit of my emunah, our family should have yeshuos." She listed the yeshuos she needed. One of her children was divorced. She requested that in the merit of her emunah, this child should get remarried. She also had two married children who were childless, although one was nine years after their chasunah and the other was six years after their chasunah. All of them had their salvation that year.
A woman who survived through Holocaust, moved to France, and got married but never had children. Once, she was out shopping when a fire broke out in her kitchen, and her home burned down, r”l. When the neighbors saw the fire, they immediately called the fire department. One of the neighbors was the gadol, Reb Mordechai Pogromansky. The neighbors approached him and asked him what to do. "When she discovers what occurred, she will be devastated. She went through the Holocaust, and she doesn't have children. What will be when she sees that she lost her home?" Reb Mordechai advised that one of the neighbors should meet this woman a couple of blocks away from her home and break the news to her there, and immediately add that Reb Mordechai Pogromansky guarantees that if she accepts this decree with emunah and without mourning, she will merit children. She didn't complain, she didn't moan, and that year, she had a girl. The next year, she had another girl, and a year after that, she had a son. We heard this story from Reb Naftali Silvertzvag, her third child.
We think that yesurim are detrimental to us, but in reality, we gain from suffering and discomfort. She lost a house and merited three children, although according to all doctors, it was impossible for her to bear children. Similarly, we must know that all troubles are for our benefit.
The holy Ruzhiner zt’l told his chassidim the following story: There was a chassid who was cautious never to work before shacharis. He was once sitting with a large stock of furs and had difficulty selling them. One morning, a messenger from a poritz arrived and wanted to purchase the furs, but the chassid hadn't davened yet, and he didn't want to conduct business before shacharis. Not wanting to get into a debate over his custom, he quoted an exorbitant price for the furs, assuming the messenger would leave. But the messenger was prepared to pay the high price. So, he raised the price even higher. Finally, the messenger said, “I see you don’t want to sell them,” and left. The Ruzhiner told his chassidim, “I see you are silent and waiting to hear the end of the story. (Generally, stories like these end with a miracle.) But that was the end of the story. He was moser nefesh to keep halachah, and he lost money." Things don't always end with a miracle, but even then, we believe that everything is for the good, although we don't know precisely how and why.
In ט"תרפ, Reb Boruch Frankel z’l, and a friend came from Europe to America and worked hard to realize the American dream. Every month they sent some money to their wives and children who remained behind in Europe, and the rest they kept in savings accounts. After three years, they had saved up enough money to start their own business in Europe and decided it was time to return. They were both excited about their future lives in Europe, together with their families and their, hopefully, prosperous business. They purchased two tickets on a ship that would be leaving for Europe in about a week and got busy finishing their preparations and closing their business in America. But then Reb Boruch Frankel's father was niftar. He sat shivah in America, knowing he would miss his voyage. Reb Boruch Frankel planned to buy another ticket after the shivah. Many people visited Reb Boruch during the shivah, and in one especially busy moment, his business partner came to him with a stack of documents. “What are these?” “They are to close our business. We have to sign some documents before we leave. I brought them here to you so you can sign them.” Reb Boruch Frankel looked at them briefly; everything seemed right, so he signed all the documents without checking each one. After the shivah, he discovered that one of those documents gave his partner permission to take all his money out of his bank account. His partner had tricked him and stolen all his savings. Reb Boruch didn’t even have enough money to pay for his passage back home. Reb Boruch stayed in America and worked hard for several more years. In ד"תרצ, he became an American citizen, and that’s when he returned to Europe. Then World War II broke out. As an American citizen, he was able to escape to America together with his family. His business partner, on the other hand, perished in the Holocaust r”l. That terrible moment when his partner stole his life’s savings turned out to be one of the most fortunate moments of his life; it saved his entire family. Obviously, this doesn’t exonerate the partner for his terrible deed, but the awareness that עביד לטב רחמנא דעביד מה כל, "Everything is for the good" is a lesson worth learning. It is a reminder that we should always judge Hashem favorably, תשפט בצדק עמיתך, with the belief that even when we don't understand, everything is for our good.
We now share a relatively recent story that demonstrates once again how everything that happens is for our benefit: A person studied to become a children’s therapist. The therapy included horseback riding. When he graduated from the course, he rented a ranch in the village of Aderet, near Beit Shemesh, complete with a barn for the horses, a riding track, and a small office. He rented the ranch for a year and invested in all the equipment needed to perform the therapy. At the end of the year, the landowner informed the therapist that he would be renting the ranch on a three-month basis. Every three months, they would draw up another contract. That gave the landowner the opportunity to raise the rent four times a year. Despite this uncommon arrangement, it worked fine for several years. But eventually, the rent became too high. The tenant said, “If I pay that amount, I might as well close my practice. All the money I earn will go to the rent.” But the landowner wouldn’t lower the price. He gave his tenant a week to decide. Deep in thought, the tenant/therapist was walking down a street, worried about his future, when he bumped into his old teacher who trained him in this therapy. The teacher immediately noticed that something was wrong and asked his student how his practice was going. The student told him about the high rent that he must pay. The teacher replied, “There is plenty of room on the ranch where I teach the therapy. You can bring your horses there, free of charge.” The therapist was shocked. This was too good to be true. He didn’t answer his therapist because he was having trouble believing that his therapist was serious and that the offer was sincere. He was still debating what to do. Four o’clock on Thursday morning, just a few hours before the deadline, he was awoken by a phone call from the police. “There’s a fire in Aderet. You must evacuate the village.” He grabbed his horses and took them straight to his teacher's ranch. We see how the problem proved to be part of the salvation. He told his teacher about his problems, this paved a place for him to bring his horses, and to continue his practice, free of charge, after the fire. Because everything is for the good, and when we look back, we often merit to see it with our own eyes.
