Suffering is for Our Benefit:
The Stefenishter Rebbe zy”a (quoted in Sefer Ner Yisroel, Chelek 6) related that Rav Avrohom Hamalach had two wealthy chasidim who would visit him together. Both of them suffered from a different problem. One of them had a difficult wife who caused him a lot of anguish. He wanted to divorce her but the Rebbe would not permit it. The other man owned a field worth 100,000 gold coins, but he also had debts of approximately 10,000 gold coins. He suffered a lot at the hands of his creditors, who tormented him to give them back their money. He wanted to sell the field to pay off his debts, but the Rebbe would not agree to this either.
One day, the chasid who was in debt couldn’t take the pressure anymore. He sold his field without the Rebbe’s permission and used part of the profit he made to pay off his creditors. However, immediately thereafter he became sick and bedridden. He asked his friend to travel to the Rebbe to ask him to daven for his refuah.
When the second chasid – the one who had a difficult wife – came to Rav Avrohom, the Rebbe asked, “Why didn’t your friend come with you?” The man answered, “Because he is sick in bed.” He then handed the Rebbe a kvittel with his friend’s name and asked the Rebbe to daven for him. When the Rebbe heard that the chasid was sick, he said, “Oy vei! He must have sold the field that I told him not to sell!”
The other chasid tried to defend his friend and explained that he had no choice but to sell the field in order to pay his debts. The Rebbe replied, “I usually do not reveal hidden matters but I will make an exception and explain this to you. The pasuk states (Iyov 33:29-30): ‘Behold Hashem does all these, twice or three times with man to bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightened with the light of life.’ The Zohar Hakadosh explains that the pasuk is saying that if a man sins and dies without doing teshuva, Hashem sends him back to this world two or three times in order to atone for his transgressions. If he comes back three times and still does not rectify himself, he can no longer be fixed.
Still and all, Hashem has mercy upon him and wants to help him. Therefore, Hashem gives him a fourth chance and sends him to this world once again. The man doesn’t really deserve a fourth chance at life, so Hashem gives him a life that really is no life at all. For example, He gives him a difficult wife or a lot of debt. He won’t be able to enjoy life, but that is the only way he can live on this world and have the opportunity to rectify his soul.”
The Rebbe concluded, “Both of you are such gilgulim. You only are able to remain alive if you keep your problems, and this is the only way to fix your souls. It is unfortunate that your friend wanted to live in peace and sold his field to pay his debts, as this means that he no longer as a right to a long life.”
