HASHEM-----why created evil and pain

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MODERATOR Posted - 04 October 2002 3:16
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This is from littlegirl86:


Because, still, G-d created evil. As much as the torah may say, man brings evil and pain and bla bla bla unto himself, the torah also says that Hashem created the world. And there is nothing that man created without G-d. Its kind of impossible that Adam created evil.

It was all Hashem's plan of the world. He made a world in which it is possible to bring evil into the world. Hence, making it possible for people to go trough pain and suffering. As much as you may say, of course we don’t want to admit what we did, and we did bring evil into the world, we are only able to have brought evil (and pain) into the world because of the way G-d made the world. Isn’t that true?

So basically I’m asking why did Hashem have to make it that way, and since you don’t have ruach hakodesh you can't know His reasoning behind it, (if there are any...)

But maybe you know of a source that says why he had to put all his "precious children " through hell. Sorry bout the language but I hear more and more about the situation in Israel and personal traumas that I cant find a better word to describe what bnei yisroel is going through now.

Thanks again, hope you can answer cuz I really need some understanding as to how all this terrible things could be going on.....



MODERATOR Posted - 04 October 2002 3:32
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G-d created pain as the way to teach us these lessons because whether we learn these lessons or not is OUR CHOICE - not G-d's decision - it is a Bechirah decision whether we learn and improve. And G-d looked at the world and He saw that of all the infinite possible ways to create the opportunity to learn, people will respond positively and improve best if the lesson is taught through the medium of pain.

In other words, G-d said, "OK, people, your job is to learn lessons. Its your choice if you want to learn them or not, and I will teach them in the way that you will choose to learn them the most."

Then G-d looks into the world and sees what will happen if he teaches lessons in every conceivable way. He sees that people are going to ignore the lessons the LEAST if they are taught through the medium of pain.

So G-d says, "OK, you want it this way, that’s what you will get." Because not leaning the lesson, not doing teshuva, not getting a kapara, is worse than the pain. And if we would be on the level to respond to our sins without feeling pain, then we would not need it - but the reality is that people chose the method of G-d's running the world, since they do not reach high levels without being prodded by the pain.

Pain is also a punishment for wrongdoing. And there HAS to be pain as punishment because otherwise there would be no justice if people would just get away with doing bad - PLUS there would be no motivation for people to do good. SO pain is also a deterrent - and it is needed because people choose not to be deterred if there is no pain awaiting their bad choices.


If a person does a sin, the pain he receives is like a slap on the wrist compared to what he would have gotten in Olam Habah. When we get to Olam Habah and we see how many sins were erased because of pain we suffered in this world, the only question we are going to have is why didn’t Hashem give us more pain to erase more aveiros??

There is a Gemora Yerushalmi where Rabi Akiva meets Nachum Ish Gam Zu. Nachum is suffering and Rabi Akiva says "Woe to me that I see you like this." Nachum answers "Woe is to me that I do NOT see you like this!"

Rabi Akiva asks "Why are you cursing me?"

Nochum answers "And why are you rejecting suffering?"