Hello,
I really need to know something that’s been like a needle in my mind. In the Torah it says that those who follow the way of Hashem will be rewarded and those who don’t will be punished. If that is the truth then why is it that rappers who sing about sex and drugs in their songs get rewarded with a huge amount of money and fame, meanwhile a Rabbi with a 1,000 students lives in a shack and dies a long and poor death. Why do the good Jewish people get messed over in the end. Please answer truthfully to this answer for I don’t know what else to do. I don’t understand what being Jewish means and I want to know how we get rewarded.
Confused
You are asking a question that is as old and fundamental as creation itself. Moshe himself asked this question of Hashem, and the entire book of Iyov (Job) discusses this question. The ultimate answer, which was given by Hashem to Moshe, is that the workings of the world are something only the Infinite G-d can fathom. A finite human, who sees only a slice of the whole of creation, can not fathom the answers.
However, there are numerous partial answers to this question. I will choose one to give you. Every soul is created with certain potential abilities, which it can activate while living in this world. These potentials involve overcoming adversities. Different souls will encounter different adversities, tailor made to help them activate their potentials. What looks to us as unfair, is actually helping these people accomplish what their soul yearns to accomplish – sanctifying G-d’s name in this world by acting properly and overcoming adversity.
Of course, this is the tip of a large, nay infinite, iceberg. I urge you to find some Jewish class or teacher who can help you learn more. This way, you can find some peace of mind.
Rabbi David Shenker