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Why does G-d allow virtuous people to struggle with poverty?

by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg

  

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We can never truly know the reason for difficulties and tribulations in life. There are two possible scenarios which can explain why a person may experience suffering:

Someone who is perfect, without sin or fault (basically, you'll never find such a person), will not suffer in this world, because G-d is just and would never make anyone suffer for no reason whatsoever. So someone who is basically a good person but has a few faults and is suffering in this world is actually getting a good deal because that means that he won't have to endure any suffering in the World-to-Come. The person who has no suffering at all (if you could find such an individual...), will have to go through a painful purging process when his soul departs his body.

There does exist the concept of "tests," where G-d will bring a test upon a totally righteous person (like Job) to see how much his faith can endure
[There does exist the concept of "tests," where G-d will bring a test upon a totally righteous person (like Job) to see how much his faith can endure. Such a person, however, is richly rewarded and compensated upon passing the test.]


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COMMENTS

Struggle with Poverty

Posted by: x ben x on Nov 23, 2006

I see a problem in the question itself. For a totally righteous person, his poverty will not be detrimental to him. He is not suffering with the poverty, it is instead a wonderful and amazing opportunity for him to restrict the desire to receive for the self alone, and to even find common ground with other poor people, making it easier to bring them to spirituality.
G-d
It is forbidden to erase or deface the name of G-d. It is therefore customary to insert a dash in middle of G-d's name, allowing us to erase or discard the paper it is written on if necessary.