Q&A: Evil in the World
Evil in the World
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I saw that you start from the assumption that God wants the world to operate according to fixed laws, and therefore this prevents Him from intervening in the world and correcting the way it functions. Likewise, a person has free choice.
It follows from this that evil is unavoidable. If so, why does evil in the world serve as a kind of factor in many people’s faith? For example, how can one come with complaints against God over the Holocaust? After all, everything came about through human choice, and God has no influence over that because there is free choice!
Thanks in advance.
Answer
You’re pushing at an open door. Indeed, it is impossible to come with complaints against Him. Complaints should be directed at human beings, and at them alone. At most, one can wonder why the Holy One, blessed be He, did not intervene and thwart their intentions, but I addressed that in a parallel answer (that if it is right in His eyes for the world to be conducted according to fixed laws, then He is not supposed to intervene):
https://mikyab.net/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%A2-%D7%91%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9D/
In this context it is worth mentioning a story told by Rabbi Amital. He once met Abba Kovner (a publicist/political commissar of the Labor movement and the Palmach), and Kovner told him that during the Holocaust he lost his faith in God. Rabbi Amital replied that because of the Holocaust, he lost his faith in man. Mark that very, very well.
Discussion on Answer
First, I wrote that the conduct of the Holy One, blessed be He, may have changed from their days to ours.
Second, sometimes “long life” is interpreted as referring to the World to Come.
And third, even if those commandments are a cause of long life, there may be other causes that neutralize it. This is how Rabbi Ovadia Yosef brings it: one who recites havdalah over a cup of wine will have male children. But the Chazon Ish certainly recited havdalah over a cup of wine, and he had no children at all. Apparently, havdalah over a cup does help for sons, but there are other considerations that can offset that. For example, because of the sin of vows, a person’s children die. So what happens if he recites havdalah over a cup but is not careful with vows?
See my article on ukimtot on the site, where this is explained in much greater detail:
The story is well known about Elisha ben Avuyah, who saw a child climb a tree in order to fulfill the commandment of sending away the mother bird, about which it is written, "…so that it may be good for you and you may prolong your days." As soon as he climbed the tree, he fell and died, and as a result Elisha denied everything.
According to what you just said, there is really no reason to change one’s faith because of a case like that (?).
And more generally, what would you say about the places where the Torah promises long life? It is obvious that this does not really happen!