Our parsha relates Pharaoh’s decree that all Jewish male babies be thrown into the river. The Gemara (Sotah 11a) teaches that there were three people who were present when the idea of drowning the Jewish babies was originally proposed: Bilaam, Iyov, and Yitro. Bilaam, who counseled Pharaoh to drown the Jewish babies, was killed. Iyov, who was silent (neither concurring nor protesting), was punished by having to undergo suffering (as he should have protested). Yitro, who fled (after protesting), merited that his descendants would become members of the Sanhedrin in the Beit HaMikdash.
Contrasting between Bilaam and Iyov, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz observes that it’s clear that Bilaam’s punishment should be much worse—incomparably worse—than Iyov’s punishment, since, after all, Bilaam wanted harm for the Jews and actually counseled Pharaoh on the matter of drowning the Jewish babies, whereas Iyov was merely silent on the matter. Yet, at first glance, it would appear that Iyov’s punishment was more severe than Bilaam’s, for Bilaam was simply killed, whereas Iyov endured extremely bitter and frighteningly awful afflictions and suffering! Surely Bilaam deserved a much worse punishment, but was his punishment, in fact, truly worse than Iyov’s?
We see from here, as Rav Shmuelevitz seems to explain, that one who retains life is far better off than one who loses it, even if his life is full of suffering and even if his sufferings are to the degree of Iyov’s. This may show us how precious life is, and how fortunate one is to remain alive.
Rav Shmuelevitz deepens this idea based on the pasuk (in Eicha 3:39) which states, “For what shall a living man complain?” The Gemara (Kiddushin 80b) quotes Abba Shaul who says that this refers to one who complains [against Hashem] about what has been meted out to him (i.e, he complains about the unfortunate things that happen in his life). Rashi there seems to say that the pasuk teaches that Hashem is essentially imparting the following: Why does one complain about the [unfortunate] happenings that come upon him after all the kindness that I do to him that I gave him life and didn’t bring death upon him? From this Rashi we can learn, as Rav Shmuelevitz explains, that the gift of life is so great, to the extent that in comparison, all the sufferings in the world are considered naught.
Rav Shmuelevitz quotes Rav Leib Chasman who compared this concept to a case of someone who won a huge amount in a lottery, and right after winning the lottery, his pitcher broke. Now, would this lottery winner feel this slight pain at this time of tremendous happiness? Indeed not, for the immense joy that he is currently experiencing nullifies all the minor emotional pains that a person experiences in everyday life. So too when it comes to the great gift of life. If a person adequately valued and appreciated the gift of life that Hashem gave him, his happiness and joy would be immeasurable, to no end, and this state of ecstasy would bring him to not even pay attention to or be bothered by the hardships he might experience in life, even if theoretically those hardships are on the level of Iyov’s; indeed, they would be considered like nothing in comparison to the happiness derived from appreciating the gift of life.
Says Rav Chaim, we can now understand that, in fact, Bilaam’s punishment of death was incomparably far more severe than Iyov’s punishment of suffering. Iyov, despite the horrible suffering he underwent, still retained the gift of life, and thus, “for what shall a living man complain?”—what is there to complain about if he has been granted the great gift of life itself? Being alive, and the joy that can come from such an awareness of this gift, was retained by Iyov. On the other hand, Bilaam’s punishment of death was indeed so terribly severe for he lost the gift of life (see Sichot Mussar, 29).
We can perhaps learn from Rav Shmuelevitz’s insight not only how valuable life is and the immense opportunity it is to have the gift of life, but also the power of appreciating life—that by developing the right value and appreciation for life, the resulting optimism and happiness derived from such an appreciation can be so potent and prevailing that it overwhelms and nullifies any emotional pain from any hardships. Thus, commensurate with our level of appreciation of how precious the great gift of life is, we will perhaps be equipped with the prevailing emotion of positivity and joy that can rise above, overpower, and negate the difficult feelings experienced as a result of life’s challenges.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, and Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
