I learned a new Yiddish expression this week – Guzente Tzurus or good or healthy troubles. Not all troubles are equal, some, like the ones that arise from getting ready for happy occasions or in preparation to overcome adversity, are actually important. These types of troubles make us stronger and more resilient. Yiddish, a language that understands struggle more than any other language in the world, can perfectly capture the nuance between the truly awful, and the normal everyday kvetches all of us inevitably have.
This week’s double portion, Tazria-Metzorah, is about struggles that are definitely not healthy. Between skin disease, mold, and STD’s this is not a Torah reading for the weak of stomach. Our ancestors go into great detail about all things that ooze, swell, or emit disease. It’s the perfect portion for those in the medical field, an awful one for everyone else. So, why subject us to all this unnecessary tzurus (troubles)?
The answer is the Torah is trying to mitigate worse tzurus. We cannot avoid all of life’s problems. They will be waiting for us even in the best conditions. So, we might as well learn how to navigate through the worst of it, to move from sickness to health. So, next time you feel a kvetch coming on, remember that not all troubles are made equal. Sometimes, troubles are Guzente Tzurus.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex