Why Are Sufferings a Gift? The Amazing Revelation of Shaarei Teshuva

The Daily Quote

'And you should know and understand that the discipline from Hashem is for the benefit of man. For if a person sins before Him and does evil in His eyes, Hashem disciplines him for two benefits.'

The first is to atone for his sins and remove his iniquity as it is said (Psalms 25:18) 'Look at my affliction and my toil, and forgive all my sins.' And through the illnesses of the body that Hashem caused him, the illness of his soul will be healed...

And the second, to remind him and turn him away from his evil ways as it is written (Zephaniah 3:7) 'But you should fear Me, you should accept correction.' And if he did not accept the discipline and did not rest because of the rebuke and did not circumcise the foreskin of his heart, woe to him and woe to his soul, for he suffered afflictions and bore his iniquity, and it was not appeased, but his punishment was doubled as we have explained.'

(Rabbenu Yonah, 'Shaarei Teshuva' Chapter 2).

The Meaning of the Quote

Rabbenu Yonah explains the purpose of the sufferings that a person experiences in his life. When a person sins and commits evil deeds in the eyes of Hashem, the punishment and sufferings that come upon him are actually for his own good. They are not arbitrary punishment but have two main benefits:

A. Atonement for the Sins - The sufferings are atonement for a person's transgressions. They purify him from his sins and remove the iniquity from him, as it is written: 'Look at my affliction and my toil, and forgive all my sins' (Psalms 25:18)

The meaning is that the physical sufferings or difficulties he experiences are a correction for his sinning soul. The person is essentially 'paying' for his sins in this world, so he will not be punished in the next world.

B. Returning in Repentance - The sufferings are meant to awaken a person to repent and reflect on his ways. They serve as a warning sign and remind him to stop his evil deeds. This is based on the verse: 'But you should fear Me, you should accept correction' (Zephaniah 3:7) The sufferings teach a person to take correction, understanding that Hashem is prompting him to return from his evil ways and draw closer to Him.

If the person ignores the sufferings and does not take correction, the problem is severe: he suffers afflictions, but they do not atone for his sins because he has not changed his ways. As a result, he causes himself a double punishment - he both suffered afflictions in this world and will also be punished for his sins in the next world.

As it is said: 'Woe to him and woe to his soul' – the person suffers afflictions for nothing, as he has not achieved the purpose they came to serve.

Therefore, a person should see sufferings as an opportunity to correct his ways and draw closer to Hashem.

A Few Words About the Author

Rabbenu Yonah (ben Avraham) of Gerona, also called Rabbenu Yonah the Pious, lived about 800 years ago. He was one of the great Rishonim in Spain. He wrote important books in the fields of Talmud, Halacha, and ethics. He became famous for his great ethical works, and during his time he served as the head of a large yeshiva – in Barcelona and Toledo – where he taught many students who continued his path.

Rabbenu Yonah's main fame is connected to his ethical teachings in his book 'Shaarei Teshuva.' He also wrote additional commentaries related to ethics, in his commentary on the Book of Proverbs and the Tractate Avot. The matter of these explanations is the psychological analysis of the human soul and its essence, and their purpose is to instruct a person how to properly utilize his soul's powers and how to control the positive forces over the negative ones. Rabbenu Yonah also authored a commentary on the Talmud.

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