כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע ׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֪ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ בָּ֭עֶרֶב יָלִ֥ין בֶּ֗כִי וְלַבֹּ֥קֶר רִנָּֽה׃
Sebab murka-Nya hanya sesaat, tetapi dalam perkenan-Nya ada kehidupan; pada waktu malam tangisan bermalam, tetapi pada waktu pagi datang sorak-sorai.
Dirshuni I
What is the pain that has no limit? That is the pain of one who has a stillbirth. For the pain of pregnancy, the pain of birth and the pain of [work on] the land have a beginning and an end. But after them, their is great joy.
But the pain of a woman for her infant who was bent over and hidden but never saw light has no time, no end and no cure. And our Rabbis said about the death of a stillborn, a father's heart does not ache, he does not tear, we do not mourn for him and we do not cry. And not only that, but the infant appears to them like a fish, a creeping animal, a locust, a bug and even a sandal.
"From here, say, 'At the sound of their downfall the earth shall shake; the sound of screaming shall be heard at the Red Sea'" (Jeremiah 49:21). The ground needs to shudder for each and every stillborn infant that returns to it, and their voice needs to be heard from one sea to the other.
And from where can relief for the grieving soul be found? We can do nothing but aim our eyes towards our Father in Heaven. For He is the 'Supporter of the falling and the Healer of the sick,' as it is stated (Psalms 147:3), "He heals the broken-hearted and binds their wounds." And know that, "For His anger endures but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalms 30:6).
But the pain of a woman for her infant who was bent over and hidden but never saw light has no time, no end and no cure. And our Rabbis said about the death of a stillborn, a father's heart does not ache, he does not tear, we do not mourn for him and we do not cry. And not only that, but the infant appears to them like a fish, a creeping animal, a locust, a bug and even a sandal.
"From here, say, 'At the sound of their downfall the earth shall shake; the sound of screaming shall be heard at the Red Sea'" (Jeremiah 49:21). The ground needs to shudder for each and every stillborn infant that returns to it, and their voice needs to be heard from one sea to the other.
And from where can relief for the grieving soul be found? We can do nothing but aim our eyes towards our Father in Heaven. For He is the 'Supporter of the falling and the Healer of the sick,' as it is stated (Psalms 147:3), "He heals the broken-hearted and binds their wounds." And know that, "For His anger endures but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalms 30:6).
Duties of the Heart
Another reason is that the purpose of reward in Olam Haba is essentially clinging to G-d, and drawing near to His supernal light, as written "your righteousness will go before you, the glory of G-d will gather you in" (Yeshaya 58:8), and "the wise will shine like the radiance of the firmament" (Daniel 12:3), and also, "To bring back his soul from the pit (i.e. Gehinom see below Tov Halevanon), to be enlightened with the light of the living" (Iyov 33:30). And no one can reach there except he who the Creator finds favor in, and the favor of the Creator is the root of the reward, as written "his anger is but a moment, in His favor is life" (Tehilim 30:6). And there are hints in parsha bechukosai that pleasing the Al-mighty [is the greatest reward], this is what is written "My soul will not abhor you" (Vayikra 26:11), and "I will turn to you and be unto you a G-d and you will be unto Me a people" (ibid, 26:9).
Duties of the Heart
Afterwards, I inquired on what we are obligated to the blessed Creator, who is the goal of all our desires and the purpose of all our hopes and with whom all things begin and end, and as to what is due to Him from us in regard to the love of His favor and fear of His retribution, the former being the highest good and the latter being the greatest evil, as Scripture says "For His anger is only a moment; in His favor is life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Ps. 30:6), I therefore placed love of G-d as the tenth root of the general principles of the duties of the heart.