Am I Evil?

Real questions, submitted by actual OU Torah followers, with their real answers. NOTE: For questions of practical halacha, please consult your own rabbi for guidance.

Q. We are often told that the wicked are rewarded in this world and the righteous suffer because their reward is in the next world. There has been little suffering in my life; does this mean that I am evil?

A. That is an excellent question and I'm glad you asked it! There is no rule that the righteous must suffer or the wicked must thrive but people are generally bothered when they see these things. Explaining these phenomena, however, doesn't reflect on righteous people who aren't suffering or evil people who aren't prospering. There are many reasons why someone might suffer or prosper. For example, someone might have wealth because he deserves it, or to pay an evil person for his few good deeds, or as a test to see if he will be generous with it, or in the merits of his righteous ancestors, or because he's the conduit to pass it on to heirs who will deserve it, or many other reasons. It's a huge puzzle with many, many pieces. We just spend a lot of time on "why bad things happen to good people" because that's the part of the equation that weighs heavy on most people's minds.

See more on this topic here: 3.14 Why Do the Righteous Suffer and the Wicked Prosper? - The God Papers - OU Torah

Rabbi Jack's latest book, Ask Rabbi Jack, is now available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.