A:

It’s a nisayon, a test. It’s not easy. But even with strong yesurim, he must know that it could have been much worse. I’ll give an example. The yesurim of being without kidneys chalilah is a very great suffering. A person might have to go, let’s say, three times a week for dialysis, each time for three hours. To make up for his kidneys he goes on a kidney machine. That’s a very difficult life. It’s a nisayon. However, he can be a success there as well. Because that person,  despite all of his yesurim, the fact that he doesn’t have a colostomy, the fact that he’s able to eliminate in a natural way is a very great happiness.

When a man has a colostomy chalilah, he looks back at the good old days. Why didn’t I appreciate it when I was able to function in a normal way? Now he has to walk around hooked up to a bag for when he eliminates. But this man however should be happy that he’s able to live more or less in a normal way despite his colostomy. He still has a heart that functions. Having a functioning heart is a big simcha. And that’s his test – to appreciate what he does have.

Everyone should know that there are things worse than he is suffering now. And if he trains himself to utilize his yesurim to remind himself there are certain things that he is still getting, then this person can be even more successful in avodas Hashem than others. Of course, it’s not easy. It’s a nisayaon; but this person can be more successful than others. לפום צערא אגרא – The reward is according to the difficulty. There’s nobody who’s alive who doesn’t have reason to praise and thank Hashem.
TAPE # E-13