Ways of Looking at Suffering - It's Not Just About You

In the run-up to Rosh Hashanah, I’m sharing reflections inspired by Scott Samuelson’s Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering. Previous posts are [here - http://rabbionanarrowbridge.blogspot.com/search?q=seven+pointless+suffering]. I’ve been hugely touched by members who have shared their appreciation for these reflections. Thank you.

Actually, for this reflection, I need the full title of the work, “Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering: What Philosophy Can Tell Us About the Hardest Mystery of All.” I’m not opposed to philosophy. In fact, I quite like it. But the biggest failing in Samuelson’s, generally excellent, book is a classic philosophical failing - a religious book would get this one quite right.

Philosophy books tend to over-value thinking about things, and sometimes it’s more important to do something. Judaism places a greater emphasis on observance of Mitzvot than mental states perhaps for two reasons; one being that an over-emphasis on thinking can become solipsistic - we can lose ourselves in the consideration of our private grief. The other being that doing something for others is, perhaps, the best way of losing sight of our own pain.

‘Tzedekah Ma’avirin Et Roah HaGezerah’ we’ll pray on Monday - ‘charity draws out evil from the decree.’ Suffering is eased by doing things for other people, it’s a curious but glorious oxymoron - the more we give away, the richer we feel. One of the remarkable demands in Judaism is the demand that everyone, even the poorest, need to make financial charitable contributions. There is no-one spared the call to care for others. We feel more joy through bringing joy to the lives of others than serving our own ends. Similarly, we ameliorate our own grief by looking out for others’ suffering. The religious command to consider others is, again, one only rarely heard in the philosophical realm. There are greater, and there are fewer experiences of suffering we all carry. This year, set off the experiences of suffering by doing something for someone else.

Shabbat Shalom,

Shannah Tovah

Rabbi Jeremy