Question:
I have a question that eats away at me and does not allow me to have a loving relationship with G-d.
If G-d could have created the world ANY way He chose, why did He choose to create evil, misfortune, and pain?
Why did He create illness? Why did He create poverty? Why did He create depression, anxiety, and mental illness? Why do people have shalom bayis issues? Why do kids have learning disabilities? Why do peoples kidneys fail? Why do people develop tumors? Why do people develop neurological diseases? Why did G-d create the evil serpent in Gan Eden? Why did He make Adam and Chava too weak to withstand the test? Why test them in the first place? Why do all of humanity have to suffer for their sin? Why was there a Holocaust? Pogroms? Wars in Israel?
Answer:
Hello,
From reading your question, it is clear that you are in pain, and I pray that Hashem helps you with the difficulties you are facing.
Before asking why Hashem created the world the way He did, let’s consider why He created the world in the first place. What was it for? Why did He create man with free will? Wouldn't it be enough to create angels in the heavens without creating us in the first place?
The answer to this is that Hashem chose to create the world in such a way that we can receive a full, immense reward in the world to come, in the best possible manner. He created a system where we have to work and earn our reward. This way, we won’t feel like freeloaders or beggars receiving handouts from Hashem. So, how did Hashem do it? Although He provides us with all the tools we need, we still must use our free will to make the right decisions and overcome difficulties. When our souls reach the world of reward (which is NOT this world), we will be able to enjoy it fully, having earned our place. We will feel deserving of our reward because we worked for it, not just as a freebie.
Therefore, He created the preparatory world (this world) with many difficulties to observe how much we will strive to earn our keep. Based on the tests and challenges through which we manage to keep the mitzvos, we will receive a tremendous reward, even if it is millions of times greater than what we worked for. For example, a person who works for an hour and earns, say, $100, will be given a million dollars by Hashem—forever—in return. Yes, it was earned in a way, but the “earned reward” is enormous and beyond human comprehension in this world.
On the other hand, there is a pitfall to doing this. Man often messes up and sins, like what happened to Adam. (He wasn’t given a test too hard for him, because otherwise it isn’t a test, but a punishment.) But since he sinned, he now needs to be purified, so that when he reaches the world of truth, his soul will be clean. Imagine going to a fancy wedding dressed with large stains and mud. You can’t enter such a ballroom looking that way. It’s the same with our soul: it needs to get cleaned before entering the grand ballroom.
Therefore, Hashem created all kinds of difficulties to purify us. They are painful, but only temporary. Eventually, they will all come to an end, and then the soul will reap the great reward waiting for us forever.
This is similar to a young person in the hospital with an infection. He needs treatments, procedures, and possibly operations to eliminate the infection, but once it's done, he will be able to live a healthy life for many more good years. The hospital was not created to hurt him; rather, it exists to help him get rid of the infection he has.
It is the same with us; no matter how difficult things are, they are only temporary. For example, even those who suffered through the Holocaust endured terrible suffering. However, that suffering eventually ended, and 80 years later, they are still benefiting from the temporary pain they endured. And this is just the beginning — they will enjoy the rewards of being killed “al Kiddush Hashem” in a very special place, and this reward is theirs forever... more than a million times the suffering they experienced.
It is the same with our sins: Hashem uses all kinds of cleansers to purify us, so that we can enjoy our earned reward in a respectful way, with clean clothes, allowing us to truly enjoy.
Best wishes
