SEPT. 10, ‘25 // Questions & Answers from Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt”l’s Thursday Night Lecture Pain and Atonement Q. When a person experiences pain because of material loss, let’s say he lost money or he failed in a certain enterprise, does that pain help to atone for his sins? Sensory Perception of Yiras Shamayim Q. How do we go about acquiring sensory perception of Yiras Hashem? A. Let me explain to you. Any kind of yissurim is in a certain sense a kapparah. “Yissurim memorkon” (Berachos 5a), any kind of suffering expiates, is a kapparah for sin. But, when it’s accompanied by an awareness that “mei’eis Hashem haysah zos” (Tehillim 118:23), that Hashem is sending it, then it’s a hundred times more effective, and I’ll explain that. There are two effects that yissurim have on people: Suffering makes people more mellow, it makes them more humble, it breaks their arrogance. That’s an achievement in itself; it makes the character better when the man suffers. It’s a general principle: a man who suffered is better than one who always had it good. However, there’s a higher purpose in suffering, the purpose is to make him aware that Hashem is in charge. If as a result of his suffering he cries out to Hashem, “Ana Hashem hoshiah na — help me!” that’s the real achievement of suffering. When a man is on the operating table, he’s not happy. He knows that soon they’ll cut him open, and he’s in danger. That in itself is a benefit; it humbles him. Even though he’s a wealthy man, and proud, he can’t be proud when they’re putting him to sleep on the operating table. But when a man, before he’s put to sleep, thinks: “This is happening because Hashem wants me to know that He’s around. I’m crying out now to Him! Hashem, help me! Save me!” That’s the most important achievement of yissurim. You’re sitting in the dentist’s chair and the dentist says, “Open wide, please,” and he puts in the drill. You think, ahh, it hurts like anything, but you’re not thinking of Hashem; it’s an achievement. But suppose you’re thinking, “Why is He doing this to me? Maybe I opened my mouth other times when I wasn’t supposed to open my mouth, that’s why I’m opening it now for the dentist…” Before the dentist has a chance to insert the drill you say, “Ribbono Shel Olam, chatasi, avisi, pashati l’fanecha, I’m sorry, Hashem. I spoke words that I shouldn’t have spoken. From now on I’m going to guard my tongue, I’ll keep my mouth closed as much as possible, forgive me Hashem.” Also, add a tefillah that the dentist should succeed in doing a good job on you. A. A young man came to me and said that he has difficulty with emunah, so I put an orange and an apple on the table. It brings us back to that subject which we can never have enough of, and you should realize that… you get sensory perception in one way, by bechinah. I said to him, “Why is it that the orange is so beautifully colored on the outside and on the underside of the peel there’s no color at all?” Answer that question… There’s only one answer. This demonstrates that the color is for the purpose to be seen; there’s nobody in the world that can refute that proof. And why is it that all the fruits that are brightly colored on the outside, never have a bright color on the underside, if it’s a thick-skinned fruit? Why do you not in a single instance find bright colors on the underside of the peel, and colorless on the outside? That’s a knockout! Look at all the fruits in the world and see if you can find a single instance where the underside of the peel is gaily colored and the outside is dull! So he started stammering…evolution…so it means that this is the result of accidents. All right, so why is it then that today, in our time, after all of history written for thousands of years, there’s not a single recorded case of a fruit that suddenly by mutation developed with a bright color on the underside of the peel and colorless on the outside? There never was such a fruit. Why is it that all fruits, every fruit in the world, is green before it’s ripe and when it ripens it changes its color? Now, when you study these things — seriously, not like people idly sitting back in the lecture hall and hearing it with one ear and it goes through the other — but you concentrate on it…Put an orange and an apple on your table when you’re eating, during your meal time, you have nothing else to do… Look at the orange and the apple on the table, and do this for fifty years — fifty years! Someday it’s going penetrate your awareness, that’s the way to get daas. Daas means you have to repeat over and over and then finally these great fruits become meaningful. That’s only one way; there are other ways to do it, too. Reprinted with permission from “Ask Rabbi Miller”, compiled by Avrohom Tikotzky. Copyright 2019, Simchas Hachaim Publishing 718-258-7400 x103 To receive Mr. Tikotsky’s weekly email: tikotzky@gmail.com or www.rmillerqa.com Ask Rabbi Miller 102
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