Why, Oh Why, Must We Suffer?!

Concerning the future Redemption, the prophet declares, “I will offer thanks to You, G-d, for Your wrath,” for at that time, the good hidden in all mankind’s suffering will be made clear. But why must this be concealed from us until then?

A possible answer: G-d wants Man to cry out with deepest sincerity, “We long for You, all day!” If a person could grasp in any way the “goodness” of exile, he could not cry out for the Redemption from the depths of his soul.

At the same time, a Jew is expected to serve G-d with genuine joy - and through this he tears down the barriers of exile. To spare a single Jew even a moment in exile is worthwhile; how much more so when all Jewish souls, since the Giving of the Torah, are all waiting in a state of exile, yearning for redemption.