Saturday, March 18, 2017

tractate brachot - What about afflictions that don't match the list in Brachos?


Brachos 5a states:



אמר רבא ואיתימא רב חסדא, "אם רואה אדם שיסורין באין עליו יפשפש במעשיו, שנא' ,(איכה ג, מ) 'נחפשה דרכינו ונחקורה ונשובה עד ה'.' פשפש ולא מצא יתלה בבטול תורה שנאמר (תהלים צד, יב) 'אשרי הגבר אשר תיסרנו יה ומתורתך תלמדנו.' ואם תלה ולא מצא בידוע שיסורין של אהבה הם, שנאמר (משלי ג, יב), 'כי את אשר יאהב ה׳ יוכיח.'"‏


Rava, and some say Rav Chisda, said, "If a person sees that suffering has befallen him, he should examine his actions, as it is stated (Eichah 3:40), 'We will search and examine our ways, and return to G-d.' If he examined his deeds and did not find anything, attribute it to Bitul Torah, as it is stated (Tehillim 94:12), 'Happy is the man whom You punish, Hashem, and teach out of Your Law.' And if he did attribute [it to Bitul Torah] but did not find [that to be so], it must be afflictions of love, as it is stated (Mishlei 3:12), 'For whom Hashem loves, He rebukes.'"



To summarize: When one is suffering, he should (1) see if he has any sins. If he doesn't, (2) it must be Bitul Torah, and if that's not true, either, (3) it must be afflictions of love.


What are "afflictions of love"? Later down on the same amud, the Gemara records a debate between R' Yaakov bar Idi and R' Acha bar Chanina (it's not sure who said which) that either it's afflictions that don't prevent Torah learning (but could prevent davening) or afflictions that don't prevent davening (but could prevent Torah learning). There is a third opinion brought there (R' Abba bar R' Chiya bar Abba in the name of his father in the name of R' Yochanan) that afflictions of love could prevent both.



What if one is suffering, but able to daven and learn, and is unable to attribute it to any sin in particular? What kind of suffering is that? It's not an atonement for sin, nor is it an affliction of love, so what is it?


To give an example of what I am talking about, say a person is in the hospital. He's able to daven, and he's able to learn, but he's not able to do much else.



Answer



Your question appears to be based on an incorrect premise which is contadicted from your second paragraph (not counting the quote) to your third paragraph.


The debate in the Gemara is about the maximum limit for "afflictions of love". One amora says that if the afflictions are so intense that they prevent Torah study they cannot be afflictions of love. But as long as the person can still study Torah the afflictions can be afflictions of love. The other amora says that the limit is whether the person is still able to engage in prayer. As long as he can, the afflictions can be considered afflictions of love.


This is indeed how you seem to have understood it in your second paragraph. But then in your third paragraph you seem to have reversed it and you assume that afflictions of love are only if Torah or prayer is prevented, hence your question of what kind of suffering it is when Torah and prayer are not prevented.


But as per your second paragraph, and the simple reading of the Gemara, this is precisely the case of afflictions of love. You did not find any sins to attribute it to and it's not affecting your Torah/prayer, which is exactly when the Gemara says בידוע שיסורין של אהבה הם.


No comments:

Post a Comment

periodic trends - Comparing radii in lithium, beryllium, magnesium, aluminium and sodium ions

Apparently the of last four, $\ce{Mg^2+}$ is closest in radius to $\ce{Li+}$. Is this true, and if so, why would a whole larger shell ($\ce{...