Baruch Twerky wrote an article in Mishpacha about why suffering befalls man. He began with an anecdote about a man who had suffered terribly in his life. He travelled to his Rebbe to find out the reason for his suffering. He reached his destination, only to be told by the Rebbetzin that he would have to wait to see the Rebbe. She invited him to the waiting room where he took a seat.
"Exhausted from the journey, the man fell asleep. He dreamed he was walking alone on a deserted toad. He saw horse-drawn chariots pasing by, filled with angels. Some of the angels were beautiful and white as snow. Others were black and terrifying to behold. Wondering what this was all about, he followed them, and found them gathering around an enormous scale. The white angels were climbing onto one pan of the scale, and the black angels onto the other.
"What's happening?" the man asked one of the angels.
The angels answered, "This is the Heavenly Court, and someone is being judged. The beautiful, white angels were created by the mitvos the person did. The ugly, dark angels were created by his sins. The angels are climbing onto the opposite sides of the scale. Whichever side is heavier will determine this person's judgment."
"Whom are they judging?" the man asked.
"You".
Anxiously, the man looked and saw that the sins outweighed the mitzvos.
The angels presiding over the case asked, "Are there any more white angels?"
"No!" came the reply.
"Then maybe there are sufferings?" asked the presiding angel. "Maybe this person suffered during his lifetime? The suffering will nullify his sins."
This man had indeed suffered greatly in his lifetime, and the court began to weigh his suffering, removing dark angels from the scale accordingly.
Slowly, the scale tilted in his favor. But not enough. He hadn't suffered quite enough to nullify all his sins.
"Only a little more suffering!" the man screamed. "Please! Please! I need just a little more suffering!"
"Exhausted from the journey, the man fell asleep. He dreamed he was walking alone on a deserted toad. He saw horse-drawn chariots pasing by, filled with angels. Some of the angels were beautiful and white as snow. Others were black and terrifying to behold. Wondering what this was all about, he followed them, and found them gathering around an enormous scale. The white angels were climbing onto one pan of the scale, and the black angels onto the other.
"What's happening?" the man asked one of the angels.
The angels answered, "This is the Heavenly Court, and someone is being judged. The beautiful, white angels were created by the mitvos the person did. The ugly, dark angels were created by his sins. The angels are climbing onto the opposite sides of the scale. Whichever side is heavier will determine this person's judgment."
"Whom are they judging?" the man asked.
"You".
Anxiously, the man looked and saw that the sins outweighed the mitzvos.
The angels presiding over the case asked, "Are there any more white angels?"
"No!" came the reply.
"Then maybe there are sufferings?" asked the presiding angel. "Maybe this person suffered during his lifetime? The suffering will nullify his sins."
This man had indeed suffered greatly in his lifetime, and the court began to weigh his suffering, removing dark angels from the scale accordingly.
Slowly, the scale tilted in his favor. But not enough. He hadn't suffered quite enough to nullify all his sins.
"Only a little more suffering!" the man screamed. "Please! Please! I need just a little more suffering!"
The rebbetzin heard his screams. She ran over to him and he told her he didn't have to see the Rebbe anymore. He had received his answer.
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