Why Do Good People Suffer? A Jewish Perspective on Pain, Purpose, and Divine Goodness

Hello, Rabbi,

First of all, thank you so much!!!

Thank you for the effort you put into your answers, for the detail, and especially for making these articles and responses freely available.

If I were happy, I wouldn’t be writing this question. But that’s exactly the point: I’m not happy here, in this world—a world that, according to Judaism, was created for the sake of kindness and to bring good to human beings. And yet, there are so many people who are not doing well. In fact, it sometimes feels like no one is truly happy.

Every person struggles with something. There are individuals suffering from illness, wars, parents who have lost children, orphans and widows, singles who can’t find a spouse, or couples who long for children and can’t have them…and the list goes on. There are almost no people who are truly living “the good life.” Yes, there are moments of light and joy, but ultimately, life feels like one long chain of difficulties.

So if G-d created this world to be good, how can it be that so many people (if not everyone) suffer?

Let me summarize my main questions:

1. If G-d created humanity in order to be kind to us, why don’t we feel that kindness? Why does it seem like even righteous people, who are deeply connected to G-d, also suffer?

2. What is really the goal of humanity, of this world, and of the next?

3. If G-d created the world to do good for us, why is that good always conditional on something, in a way that often leaves people feeling they can never fully attain it?

4. How could G-d create a world where people suffer so much?

I know I wrote a lot, but I truly want to believe that Judaism is the truth. And these questions fill me with doubt.

Thank you so, so much.

Dear friend,
Thank you for your heartfelt question.

From a material perspective, most people in the Western world live far above the minimum they actually need. Much of the world’s suffering is not due to G-d’s creation, but rather the result of human choices including greed, selfishness, war, and corruption. We were given an incredible world, but we have damaged it through our own hands.

Many people do indeed experience deep emotional pain. That’s often because we have a spiritual soul that longs for meaning, and is repulsed by a purely materialistic life. When someone lacks that deeper purpose, life feels empty, even if all physical needs are met. If howeer they’re given what their soul truly craves, they can experience real happiness. That kind of fulfillment comes only through faith and Torah, which is the guidebook G-d gave us that contains the “manufacturer’s instructions” for the soul.

The real purpose of life isn’t this world, it’s the next one. We can’t fully understand what the next world is like, but Jewish tradition describes it as a perfect reality, where the greatest possible good is experienced by souls who have earned it through their choices. It is the place where true connection between soul and Creator takes place.

Consider Jacob, our forefather. He lived a life of wandering and hardship, and he believed he lost his most beloved son. That level of pain is greater than what most of us experience. The Talmud says, “It would have been better for man not to be created” (a reference to the suffering caused by sin). Ultimately, however, the soul in the World to Come will understand the reason it went through those hardships, and will look back and say: “Everything G-d did for me was good.”

Even Adam, the first human, was created with free will. Free will is central to life and gives a person the opportunity to become truly good, to create themselves, and to choose closeness to G-d. Without free will, we would be like animals acting only on instinct, and our connection to G-d would be shallow. The commandments are an act of kindness and a gift to help us refine our souls and experience greater goodness. The mitzvot weren’t given to restrict us, but to elevate us.

Let me respond to your four questions directly:

1. Why do righteous people suffer if G-d wants to do good? The righteous have always thanked G-d, even through suffering, because they understand that their pain has meaning and purpose. Even people who were distant from G-d may ultimately come to repair their wrongs and reach goodness on their own level. No one is created just to be cast aside. If that were the case, G-d wouldn’t have created them at all.

2. What’s the ultimate goal of humanity, and the next world? The goal is to develop a deep connection with G-d. That closeness is the greatest good imaginable. It will be fully realized in the World to Come, and when that time arrives, the world will be whole again.

3. Why is good always “conditional”? The “concealment” of G-d’s presence—the fact that we must search for truth and earn it—is what allows us to grow. If everything were easy, there’d be no growth, no reward, and no greatness. The conditions are not barriers, but are what enable us to reach real heights and receive lasting goodness.

4. Why is the world so full of pain? In truth, the world is mostly good. People convince themselves it’s bad—like a child throwing a tantrum because their parents won’t buy them a phone. That child says, “You hate me!”—even though the parents love them deeply. So many people today don’t appreciate what they do have: the ability to see, to hear, to walk, to think. Even something as small as eyebrows, which prevent sweat from getting into our eyes, is a gift we take for granted. There really is so much to be grateful for.

Your questions are meaningful, and they deserve time and thought. You’re not alone in your doubts, but with patience, sincerity, and open-hearted learning, those doubts can transform into understanding, and even powerful faith.