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?"
Studying Torah outweighs interfaith dialogue, so I will not be on except once and a while to answer Questions in the Judaism Q/A thread: HERE.
The fear of the L-rd is a spring of life, to turn away from the snares of death. (Mishlei 14:27)
think logic! without pain how'd we know if a part of our body is affected? how'd we know the inside of our body got a problem..? if it wasnt for pain... im sure we'd be lazy to show the doctor's! and all of a sudden our body would be suffering. its all for our good! and the above two posts shows good reasons.
This earth life is trial and test for mankind. Pain and suffering is part of the trial in worldy life. Allah created pain and suffering for reason in this world.
When you receive pain you should rejoice in the gift from god.
You can my pain too if you want - I am having a sale today
For people who have a wider and more comprehensive field of view, pain in this life means less punishment in the hereafter if it is handled with patience and asking Allah for his mercy.
It's also something that encourages us to thank Allah for his numerous blessings and bounties when we are painless.
There's alot of wisdom behind these things that are easy to understand, and very easy to overlook.
think logic! without pain how'd we know if a part of our body is affected? how'd we know the inside of our body got a problem..? if it wasnt for pain... im sure we'd be lazy to show the doctor's! and all of a sudden our body would be suffering. its all for our good! and the above two posts shows good reasons.
Logic? Pain can be more than from a physical blow.
Studying Torah outweighs interfaith dialogue, so I will not be on except once and a while to answer Questions in the Judaism Q/A thread: HERE.
The fear of the L-rd is a spring of life, to turn away from the snares of death. (Mishlei 14:27)
Interesting post. Thank you all. Just wanted to share how I view pain and life's trials. Lots of people try to use the tired old argument about how God cannot love his creation because he allows pain and suffering.
Pain can be a direct result of our action, though not always immediate. We ask for it by our actions sometimes.
We also suffer as a direct result of the fall. We are a fallen creation as shown in the book of Genesis.
Suffering can be the learning of a lesson, though we may not always like the path to the lesson that needs to be learned.
We may also suffer due to Heavenly battles as shown in the book of Job.
The existence of these sources of pain does not mean God loves us any less or doesn't love us at all. I discipline my children for their own good.
It is the suffering that humanizes the soul... without it we would see images of others, starving children, or homeless and cold, jobless and poor and not feel anything... How could we if we don't have an emotion or an experience that would allow us to relate? Suffering is a part of the human condition... that should enable us to appreciate what it means to be human!
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
This life has a mixture of both good emotions [i.e. joy] and sad emotions [i.e. pain.]
By having these experiences, we realise that we shouldn't be arrogant and disobedient to God, because it causes harm to ourselves and others. This pain is a taster to the reality of the hereafter.
When we taste happiness/joy in this world - we can reflect and imagine the eternal happiness of paradise.
When we taste pain/sadness/regret etc. we can reflect and imagine the sadness/pain/regret of the hellfire.
If we never had these tasters, we wouldn't strive to avoid to disobey God and His punishment, nor would we strive to gain His Mercy in order to enter His Paradise, which He has kept in store for His obedient servants.
If anyone questions, how can there be eternal joy in a paradise, or eternal sadness/regret etc in the hellfire - then we simply can say that if God can create a world with a mixture of the two in this world, then it is easy for Him to create the two extremes in the hereafter.
I think its a test of faith, You can't by yourself relieve the pain but giving Allah (swt) the glory and praise and asking him to help relieve the pain will be a test of your faith in him. Allahu'Alim
think logic! without pain how'd we know if a part of our body is affected? how'd we know the inside of our body got a problem..? if it wasnt for pain... im sure we'd be lazy to show the doctor's! and all of a sudden our body would be suffering. its all for our good! and the above two posts shows good reasons.
format_quote Originally Posted by rebelishaulman
Logic? Pain can be more than from a physical blow.
I concure with Lyesh, I just don't think she went far enough with her logic. And most of the rest of the answers here don't even come close to addressing why, in his great wisdom, G-d would create pain. For instance, while it is true that having once experienced pain we may have a greater appreciation for joy and happiness; but it does not follow from that truth that it is therefore true that G-d created pain in order that we might enjoy happiness more. And pain may indeed be used as a punishment, but again it does not follow from that reality that it is therefore the reason that pain exists so that we may utilize it for the purpose of punishment.
Pain is a blessing to us from G-d. G-d created us in order to enjoy him, enjoy life, and enjoy fellowship with one another. We can only do that at its fullest if we are healthy. Unfortunately we now live in a fallen world and as such the world itself is sometimes unhealthy and this impacts us as well. We get sick. We injure ourselves. And pain tells us that this is going on.
I have a woman in my church who has lost the sense of feeling in her left foot. She must now be careful to observe with her eyes if she has cut it, bruised it, if it has an infection. She cannot feel pain and thus it is easy for her to let her foot become injured and unhealthy and continue right along with it getting worse because she has no pain. Before that, if she did something to injure it, the pain would right away tell her to stop whatever it was that was injuring her foot.
Now we experience pain in places other than our feet. We experience it in our hands, in our stomach, and in our emotions. Pain in our emotions tells us that perhaps there is something injuring a relationship. It could be a relationship with another person or our relationship with G-d himself. Whatever it is, once again pain tells us that we need to pay attention to what is hurt and correct it, rather than just moving on continuing to do damage to ourselves, our relationship, our very souls.
At whatever level we find it, pain is a warning that something is not right. We can ignore the pain, try to live with the pain, or listen to the pain. I suggest that we listen to our pain. It is G-d's gift to us so that we might be aware of things that are not as G-d intended them to be. By gifting us with pain, G-d has gifted us with the opportunity to not continue forever blithely down unhealthy paths of life that injure us, but to seek that which is right for both our body and our souls.
Last edited by Grace Seeker; 03-17-2007 at 04:59 PM.
The simplest answer for me is that pain tells a human being that something is wrong, whether through disease or illness, or emotionally and spiritually.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
The simplest answer for me is that pain tells a human being that something is wrong, whether through disease or illness, or emotionally and spiritually.
So why is pain sometimes far greater than is necessary for that purpose? Why is it sometimes so great that those with particular illnesses, such as some forms of cancer, long for death just so the unbearable pain will end? Why is mental pain so strong it will drive some to suicide? And where does deliberate infliction of pain fit in, such as torture? I don't see where the 'blessing' is in those cases
An omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent God would not have come up with pain and suffering as it can be in reality. As I find the thought of a malevolent God too horrible to contemplate, the only alternative is obvious.
So why is pain sometimes far greater than is necessary for that purpose? Why is it sometimes so great that those with particular illnesses, such as some forms of cancer, long for death just so the unbearable pain will end? Why is mental pain so strong it will drive some to suicide? And where does deliberate infliction of pain fit in, such as torture? I don't see where the 'blessing' is in those cases
An omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent God would not have come up with pain and suffering as it can be in reality. As I find the thought of a malevolent God too horrible to contemplate, the only alternative is obvious.
I usually don't attempt to explain what an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God would "come up with". To be human is to die....why would God create us to eventually die? Why is there cold weather? Why is there hot weather? Why do we have to drink water? It can go on forever. Pain is something human beings have to deal with.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
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(i would be straightforward jobless if pain doesn't exist)
how'd we know the inside of our body got a problem..? if it wasnt for pain... im sure we'd be lazy to show the doctor's! and all of a sudden our body would be suffering. its all for our good! and the above two posts shows good reasons.
When you receive pain you should rejoice in the gift from god.
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