Q&A: Natural Suffering in the World
Natural Suffering in the World
Question
A somewhat strange question occurred to me: in response to the question of natural evil in the world, the Rabbi answered that there is a technical problem—that it is impossible to create a world that achieves its purpose with rigid laws of nature and less suffering. If so, given that the Holy One allows Himself to give us books, why didn’t He use His infinite knowledge to advance humanity scientifically, and thereby reduce its suffering many times over? Why, for example, didn’t He give us books at the revelation at Mount Sinai explaining how electricity works, or instruct us how to treat diseases and epidemics?
Answer
Apparently because He wants us to advance on our own. By the same token, one could ask why He gives us the possibility of sinning and does not program us to perform only commandments. There is value in autonomous progress that reaches its goals through our own choices and actions.