Questions To Rabbi Mandel
Is This Really a Good World?
Question: Is there clear proof that everything Hashem does is for the good?
Answer: People who have “dirt” on their eyeglasses are only going to see what they like to see. People who have clear glasses and like to see good things; like if a person just had an eye-check-up and sees what he is supposed to be seeing, he is going to see good. It’s up to you. You are the author of your own condition. This is the challenge of a person. You decide what your world is going to look like.
Those who are always speaking positively, everything around them becomes positive. And those who are always speaking negatively, are looking for trouble, Chas V'shalom. You are a: ב ְּע ְּל ְּיםְּ (boss) on the Matzav.
Now, the Eibishter already showed us that a world that is super-positive doesn’t work. Sedom was super positive; look what became of them. YOU NEED A CHALLENGE. You need bad weather, you need questionable things happening, etc. And when you overcome that, and you still insist on being positive, you are getting a special Olam HaBah, which you deserve. That’s why Hashem tests. Surely: עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָנֶה תהלים פט ג the world is teeming with goodness. Go to an aquarium, and see the Chesed going on from one fish to another. The colors, the Chochma, look at the birds, look at the animals, look at the humans, look at Klal Yisroel, look at the beautiful homes, look at an airplane, look at the mountains and valleys. Look at the foods! All the colors and textures and flavors, look and the types of fun and entertainment that go on, ESPECIALLY a blatt Gemara and a Rambam (once we’re talking entertainment, let’s get to the real stuff)! Cute kids that are all over the place, and the sweetness of relationships, of being married and having children. Having Bubbies and Zeide's and cousins. Come on, this world is Olam HaBah! Even having problems that you overcome, that is also sweet like sugar.
There is no end to the goodness in the world. ל ךְָּדֻמ י הְּת ה ל הְְּּתהליםְּסהְּבְּ Words cannot express Hashem’s greatness. The Alter of Slabodka was quoted (by R' Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg, the: ב ַֹעַֹלְְּּש ְּר ְּיד ְּיְּא ְּשׁ a Slabodka Talmid) saying: Some people think that there are two worlds. This world is the bad one, and the next world is the good one. This is not true. There’s one world. It starts here, and it ends there. It’s all gorgeous. Just look at it. Look outside. Look at the green carpets, look at the air-conditioning, the types of trees, palm trees, the birds; look at the beautiful world that we have; this place is Gan Eden! And the other Gan Eden is also good, except that this place is better. This is the better world, because here you get Schar for every inch of pain that you overcome, when you learn how to deal with it.
This is the better world! But don’t worry, we’re going to have so much fun in the next world, this whole entire world is just beyond beautiful. And those that keep saying these positive things EARN MORE POSITIVE. And those that chose to see the bad stuff, to sit on it, and kvetch over it, are in a certain way similar to those groups who want to kill people, or want to kvetch about themselves, or to kill themselves, whatever. They have to pay for that. But for sure, this is a beautiful world.
R' Ahron Kreiser, before he was Niftar, said: It’s so hard to leave such a beautiful world. That’s what he said. He was a Yid who “horved” (toiled) in learning all his life. Geshmak!
You can submit your questions to Rabbi Mandel by emailing them to [email protected]
