Justice

The following is an excerpt from an email I received by Rabbi Frand (which is posted at Torah.org).

The Chofetz Chaim once gave a parable to explain the expression "tzodku yachdav" in the pasuke "The laws of Hashem are True, together they are just" (tzodku yachdav) [Tehillim 19:10]: There was once a person who came down to this world and was fantastically wealthy. As is many times the case, wealthy people can be terribly arrogant with people not of their means. This person was indeed arrogant and abusive to people of less stature. He offended many poor people in this world. He came up to Heaven and was chastised for never asking for forgiveness from all these poor people he offended. It was therefore decreed that he would have to revisit the world to make amends. The soul pleaded to the Almighty – "Please Hashem send me down the next time as a poor person, as a pauper." The Attribute of Justice responded: "No, that would not be a true test. Send him down again as a wealthy man!" But again the soul pleaded with the Almighty to be sent down the second time as a destitute and broken person. The Almighty in His Compassion granted the soul his wish and it came down as a pauper, a smelly nobody. He lived a miserable existence, but he rectified the sin of his soul and cleansed it.

The Chofetz Chaim explains that this is the interpretation of the pasuk "The laws of Hashem are True, together they are just." We would look at this fellow and ask "Why is he unable to make a living? Why is he so down-trodden? What did he do to deserve it?" We cannot understand it. But ultimately it is "Tzadku Yachdav". If we take into account the entire picture, his earlier existence and sins in that situation, the fact that he was here once before and had abused his privilege of wealth...then the matter becomes clear and sensible. It only makes sense when the two things are taken together. Read full article: http://torah.org/learning/ravfrand/5772/bamidbar.html