The Cleansing Compassion of Accepting Troubles with Love

When struggling through a day in which I experienced a lot of physical pain and also lots of minor yet very frustrating obstacles every which way I turned (and having just faced a huge disappointment the day before), I came across this from the Kav Hayashar, Chapter 31:

וּמִזֶּה תִּרְאֶה, שֶׁזֻּהֲמַת הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא הִיא דָּבָר מַמָּשׁ, הַנִּדְבָּק בְּגוּף הָאָדָם, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְלַבֵּן וּלְהִתְרוֹקֵן אִם לֹא עַל יְדֵי יִסּוּרִים, כִּי אֵין יִסּוּרִין בְּלֹא חִמּוּם הַגּוּף. אַף הֲסָרַת הַכְּתָמִים מִן הַמַּרְאוֹת הַצּוֹבְאוֹת אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַעֲבִיר אִם לֹא עַל יְדֵי גַּחֲלֵי אֵשׁ, וְאָז יַחֲזֹר הַשְּׁפִּיגֶל כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה. כֵּן הָאָדָם אֵין לוֹ כַּפָּרָה עַל חֶטְאוֹ, אִם לֹא שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִתְלַבֵּן בְּחִמּוּם הַיִּסּוּרִים כַּנִּזְכָּר. וּכְשֶׁאָדָם מְקַבֵּל הַיִסּוּרִים בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְחִבָּה מֵאֵת ה', אָז הוּא מַתִּישׁ כֹּחַ הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת זֻהֲמַת הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא. וְחָלִילָה לָאָדָם, שֶׁיִּבְעַט בְּיִסּוּרָיו, אֶלָּא יְקַבֵּל עָלָיו הַכֹּל בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְחִבָּה, הֵן בְּיִסּוּרִים שֶׁל גּוּפוֹ וְהֵן יִסּוּרֵי מָמוֹנוֹ, כִּי יֵשׁ אֵיזֶה אֲנָשִׁים — אִם יִקְרֶה לוֹ אֵיזֶה הֶזֵּק מָמוֹן — אֲזַי הוּא מִתְחַמֵּם וּמִתְלַהֵב בְּלֵב רַגָּז, וּמֵרִיב וּמְחַרְחֵר רִיב עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת — זֶהוּ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹעֵט בַּיִּסּוּרִין. אֶלָּא יִהְיֶה שָׁיֵף עָיֵל וְשָׁיֵף נָפִיק בְּלֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה וּבְהַכְנָעָה, וְיֹאמַר תָּמִיד: ה' נָתַן וַה' לָקַח, יְהִי שֵׁם ה' מְבֹרָךְ. בְּזֶה מְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים שֶׁרוֹאֶה בּוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַכְנָעָה דִּילֵיהּ

One can understand, then, that the filth of the Sitrah Acharah is a tangible substance clinging to a person’s body, from which it is impossible to be cleansed without afflictions.

These cleanse because all afflictions are accompanied by a warming of the body. Therefore just as the stains on the mirror can only be removed with hot coals, after which it returns to its original appearance, so too a person can only achieve atonement through scorching, which is achieved through the heating of the body caused by afflictions.

When one accepts Hashem’s afflictions with love and affection he diminishes the power of the filth from the Sitrah Acharah to spread.

Therefore Heaven forbid that a person remonstrate against his afflictions!

Rather let him accept them with love and affection, whether they strike his body or his money.

For some individuals become very worked up and excited if they suffer any financial harm. Then with hearts filled brimming with ire then enter into conflicts and quarrels with others. This is the way of those who remonstrate against afflictions.

Instead let a person enter humbly and exit humbly, with a broken and contrite heart and with submissiveness. And let him say on every occasion, “Hashem gave and Hashem has taken, may Hashem’s name be blessed” (Iyov 1:21).

In this way he will arouse Heaven’s mercy, for the Holy One Blessed is He will take note of his submission.

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It's nothing new, really.

But coming from a tzaddik similar to Rav Yehudah Petiyah and all those who understand what's going on in other worlds in other dimensions with spirits and beings most of us cannot perceive, it means a lot when Rav Tzvi Hirsch says that accepting afflictions and suffering with love (i.e., saying "Thank You, Hashem!" or "This too is for the best!" or "Baruch Hashem!") really does cleanse us AND "arouse Hashem's mercy."

May we all succeed in repenting from love without needing afflictions.

Related Post:
Encouraging Words from the Kav Hayashar
The One Thing to Say in Times of Great Stress