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For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. (Proverbs 3:12) | |
For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Proverbs 6:23) | |
Thou didst turn for me my mourning into dancing; Thou didst loose my sackcloth, and gird me with gladness. (Psalms 30:12) | |
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:2) | |
Said Rebbi Elazar ben Jacob: “When sufferings come upon him, man must utter thanks to God, for suffering draws man near unto the blessed Holy One. As it saith: «Whom the Lord loveth, He correcteth, even as a father correcteth the son in whom he delighteth» (Proverbs 3:12).” When griefs come upon a man, let him stand up and receive them, for his reward will be beyond measure. (Midrash Tanḥuma on Deuteronomy 21:10) | |
Rav Zeira said: “David said: ‘O Master of the world, teach me the path of life.’ Then answered the blessed Holy One ‘David! Is it life that Thou seekest? then meditate upon suffering, for «the reproofs of instruction are the ways of life» (Proverbs 6:23).’” (Yalqut Shimoni on Psalms 67) | |
When suffering comes upon us, as it comes to all, we often fret despairingly and repine. We cannot understand why we should be made the apparent sport of misfortune and calamity. We wonder why tender affection should be created, only to be rudely broken; why agonizing pain should wreck our nerves and consume our flesh.[1] As printed, the line here ends with a semi-colon and the word “circumstances.” possibly indicating an accidental elision in the editing or printing of this edition. The error must have been noted at some later point since the Union Home Prayer Book (1951), in its reprinting this prayer, does not include the stray word. In moments of great sorrow, the stricken heart is apt to exclaim: “Surely God does not care, or else why does He inflict upon me such cruel pain!” The presence of evil— how baffling it is to our finite understanding! | |
Yet it is through struggle and sorrow that we learn to know more of the love and faithfulness of God than in any other way! We know only too well that sorrow often breaks the crust of a superficial life, uncovers its deepest realities. Through the dark cloud that envelops us, there breaks forth a new vision of the aim and purpose of our earthly existence. Not always on the heights, sometimes from the depths do we best see God. And seeing Him, we come to realize that our life is not a haphazard occurrence of chance events and circumstances, that a Divine hand and purpose are discernible in all that befalls us. Out of the dark passages of life, we emerge into the light of faith, purified in spirit, more keenly alert and responsive to the soft whisperings of the still small voice ever striving to speak to our hearts. | |
How calmly the chastened and subdued soul of the erstwhile sufferer commits itself to Him who bears up the world and moulds our destinies! What a revelation comes from grief! What a boon and a blessing! | |
O Lord my God, I bow my head before Thee in humility and gratitude. When shadows enshroud me, when hardship and suffering invade the peacefulness of my life, I shall neither complain nor lose faith and courage, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Even though my path lie through gloom, I know that it will lead me to joy and peace. When the clouds gather and the storm breaks, my heart will not faint and my steps will not falter, for I trust in Thee and cannot fear. | |
Help me, O God, to be firm and steadfast, to fix my gaze upon Thee and Thy wisdom. When weary, fretful, and discouraged, teach me, O Father, to be still, bravely to face life, and confidently to look across the vale of shadows. Strengthen me, O God, that I may be able to bear pain, sickness, or danger, with faith and fortitude, with dignity and hope. For even though Thou slayest me, yet will I trust Thee. |
“Suffering” is the thirty-fifth prayer found in ברכה ותהלה Blessing and Praise: A Book of Meditations and Prayers for Individual and Home Devotion (CCAR 1923), pp. 118-120. Unfortunately, we do not yet know of a resource providing clear attribution of authorship for any of the prayers in this volume.
Source(s)
Notes
| 1 | As printed, the line here ends with a semi-colon and the word “circumstances.” possibly indicating an accidental elision in the editing or printing of this edition. The error must have been noted at some later point since the Union Home Prayer Book (1951), in its reprinting this prayer, does not include the stray word. |
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“Suffering (CCAR 1923)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication.
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