Berachot 5: Is Suffering Related to Our Actions?

The rabbis discuss how to behave in proper manner.  We are told that we should work against our evil inclination with our good inclination.  If this does not work, we should study Torah or "say it to your heart".  If that doesn't work, we should say the Shema in bed.  If that doesn't work, we should think about the day of our own deaths.  The rabbis (likely Reish Lakish) teach us to refocus on what is good if we are distracted in our prayer, study or thought.

We then learn that the "tablets" refer to the ten commandments; the "Torah" refers to the five books of Moshe, The Mitzvah is the Mishna, and "What I have written" refers to the Talmud.  Suffering is said to be reduced by Torah study.  The rabbis refer to the sparks of Torah and the demons which might devour those sparks.  We are told that one who is able to study but do other things will suffer with terrible afflictions.  We should always be looking for reasons that we might not be learning Torah be searching for ways to do better.  If we do not find that lack of Torah study has led to our suffering, we should remember that we might be G-d's favourite child who is ignored by G-d/our parents.  

The rabbis discuss the concept of G-d's love.  Do we put up with the notion that G-d will rebuke those that G-d loves?  Several prooftexts are shared from Prophets (16:6, 21:21, 23:23, etc.).  Rabbi Yochanan teaches us that visible leprosy can be a punishment for spiritual matters.

This lead the rabbis to ask about true tragedies.  How could we be saying that one who goes through the the worst tragedies is being punished?  We are told about Rabbi Yochanan who lost ten children.  He kept a bone from the youngest child.  We are then told about several rabbis who almost died but were asked, is your suffering dear to you?  When the answer was no, Rabbi Yochanan took the patient's hand  in his and the ailing rabbi was able to stand.  One of those was Elazar, student of Rabbi Yochanan.  He was crying not because of his lack of Torah study but because of Raabbi Yochanan's beauty and the beauty of the natural world.  Both of them cried about the fleeting, beautiful world created for us to appreciate.

We learn another story about the divine punishment: when four hundred barrels of Rav Huna's wine turned to vinegar, he searches for his transgression that caused this financial hardship.  The only thing he could imagine was the tenant who rented his land.  It is possible that the wine turned back to vinegar and then was sold at twice its value.  

Binyamin says that his bed should be placed north to south to ensure good health. And male children.  And no miscarriages...

And, finally we are told that our prayers and our souls will be thrown back in our faces if we leave another person praying in the synagogue alone.  There are times when G-d, "Rock", will be angry with us because we have not been thoughtful about our actions.  This is difficult to reconcile with our modern concept of the all-loving, all-forgiving G-d.