The Proper Perspective

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

It is possible for a person to have a completely incorrect understanding of how Hashem interacts with us, stemming from misconceptions about concepts they learned as a child. For example, Chazal teach us that Hashem punishes midda keneged midda —measure for measure. Some people might perceive this as a form of revenge, chas v'shalom , as if to say, "If you act that way, I will do the same to you." This interpretation is a complete distortion of what midda keneged midda truly is. The Alshich explains this concept through a pasuk in Tehillim: ולך ה' חסד, כי אתה תשלם לאיש כמעשהו —"To You, Hashem, is kindness, for You repay a person according to their deeds." Hashem performs a tremendous act of chesed by ensuring that the consequence a person faces corresponds directly to their misdeed. Initially, Hashem grants a person time to do teshuva without any punishment. If the person does not repent, Hashem, in His compassion, does not want the sin to remain on their record. As an act of chesed , He provides a consequence designed to awaken the person to recognize their wrongdoing and inspire them to do teshuva . Hashem desires for each person to attain eternal happiness, which sin would jeopardize. Midda keneged midda is one of Hashem's many acts of love, designed to guide us toward a better path. Consider the following story: A man was confined to a wheelchair, and his wife managed their household efficiently. They were known for their hospitality, opening their home to many people seeking a meal or solace. One regular visitor became so accustomed to their generosity that he treated their home as his own, staying for hours and unintentionally straining their hospitality. Eventually, the couple moved to a new, more spacious apartment on the fifth floor. Although this would typically be challenging for someone in a wheelchair, the building had an elevator that went directly to their floor. However, on their first day in the new apartment, the elevator malfunctioned, stopping only at the fourth floor. Each day, the husband needed assistance carrying his wheelchair down one flight of stairs and back up again—a significant inconvenience. As days passed without the elevator being fixed, the wife recalled a story she had heard. A family once moved without informing a poor, lonely man who regularly visited them for food every Friday. On their first day in their new home, the woman encountered a scorpion in her kitchen. Though they killed it, another appeared the next morning. Realizing something unusual was happening, they consulted their rabbi. The rabbi opened Perek Shira and pointed out the scorpion's song: "And His mercies are upon all His creations." He suggested they reflect on whether they had failed to show compassion to someone. The couple remembered their oversight in not notifying the lonely man about their move. They sought him out, informed him of their new address, and invited him to continue visiting. After this, the scorpions stopped appearing. The wife related this story to her husband and suggested that their situation was similar. They wanted Hashem to have pity on them, yet they had not shown compassion to the guest who was accustomed to visiting them. They realized they had failed to inform him about their move. That very day, they reached out to him and reassured him that he was welcome to visit whenever he wanted. By the next morning, the elevator was fixed. Someone hearing this story might think Hashem was punishing the family for their lack of compassion. However, that is not the correct perspective. Hashem knew how much they gained from their chesed toward this guest and wanted to ensure they didn't lose out on those eternal merits. In His kindness, He gave them a reminder to continue their good deeds. Everything Hashem does is an act of chesed . We need to train ourselves to see events in this light and maintain the proper perspective