Customer Reviews

If God Is Good, Why Is The World So Bad?

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Rabbi Benjamin Blech has already authored a series of books on Judaism best-known for distilling complex subject matter into reader-friendly basics. I found his latest, IF GOD IS SO GOOD WHY IS THE WORLD SO BAD, exhibits that same warm, readable style. And I cannot recall being affected so deeply by a book, often to the point of tears. Though I am not Jewish, the deep insights that Rabbi Blech draws from the Talmud and other traditional Jewish sources are often profound and comforting. These insights have given me a whole new understanding of certain Biblical concepts that have evaded me for so long. Thanks to Blech's book, I now understand why Free Will is so pivotal to the entire equation that we call life. In the past, I've searched in vain through pages of other books attempting to make sense of a God who would allow suffering and death. IF GOD IS SO GOOD makes it clear that such hardships are truly necessary evils. That said, I will not attempt to tackle these heavy themes in a mere review. However, I can recommend the book to everyone, Jew and non-Jew alike. Rabbi Blech's latest should be on everyone's bookshelf. This is a book that will instill a deeper trust in the Creator and offer much-needed solace in difficult times.

I heard Rabbi Blech being interviewed on the Christian radio program, The White Horse Inn. His view on suffering intrigued me as I was going through some trying times with illness in our family. Rabbi Blech tries to help the reader come to terms with those times when one feels their prayers are just bouncing back off the ceiling. Most people, I think, have cried out for God and God seems to be on vacation. Rabbi Blech goes on to show the reader how God is always there and why our suffering may or may not be our own doing. Despite our own doubts the author shows that God is always there. This book should be on the shelf of all clergy. And for the lay person, it is a comfort.

I give credit to the Rabbi for trying to answer THE question, If God is good, than why does everyone suffer( only to what degree is the difference) and why does evil seem to triumph so often. Does he succeed?His logical arguments chipped away at some of the doubts I had. But faith without some doubt is akin to a delusion. You will never get rid of all of it and maybe that is the point. For without questions who would buy this book or try to understand the character of God. As I read the book, I mentally argued with the Rabbi from my own life's experience. What I like about the book is that Blech is not an absolutist. there are other options for why we suffer but all within God's love for us. The Rabbi wants us to debate his premises and perhaps find our own answers.

I have read this and other books by the same author, and find them all great for strengthening my beliefs. My wife and I thought this is also a great book for teenagers who are beginning to see the outside world for the first time and question their beliefs in a caring God.

The questions stated on the back of the book alone, gave me enough answers to want to read the book. I have always asked "Why?", but I could never even think of the rest of the question. All the "Whys" were too confusing to sort out. Rabbi Blech did that for me, and in the meantime, answered them as well. When trying to explain what I had learned from the book to a friend, I couldn't even summon the words to start, lacking the amazing skills Rabbi Blech seems to posses of taking the most complicated idea and making it as simple as anything, while at the same time making you think. Thank you Rabbi Blech, for a work of art!

Blech throws a variety of explanations for the world's apparent injustice at readers (suffering as punishment, suffering as test for spiritual growth, suffering compensated in next world, etc.). None of them are consistently persuasive, and to invoke them selectively proves too much (in that even though one explanation of evil might be logically falsifiable under certain circumstances, four or five alternate explanations are not logically falsifiable as a group, since there will always be a situation where one of them makes sense). Blech is quite deferential (maybe too much so) to every explanation he plucks from traditional Jewish sources.

Blech does not bother to criticize any explanation of misfortune until he discusses the Holocaust- when he finally comes up with the best answer, which is that Divine inactivity in the face of human evil is incomprehensible. The best part of the book is his attack on "divine punishment" explanations of the Holocaust, in which he points out that some Jewish commentators argue that the Holocaust is punishment for Zionism while other equally learned commentators assert that the Holocaust was punishment for inadequate Jewish support of Zionism.

I think this point could have been broadened into an attack on such theology generally: that is, if you treat collective suffering as punishment, there is a virtually unlimited number of sins that could justify divine punishment. Thus, to blame punishment on any specific sin makes no sense. (This is true for individuals as well; but hopefully most individuals' menus of misconduct are relatively finite).

In typical Blech fashion, he takes the difficult and complex issues of our daily lives, and explains them in simple fashion for the most basic of readers to understand. This book tackles the difficult issues and questions that face our world today and offers an understandable rationalization as to why these things happen. Today especially, being in the world that we live in, this book is an absolute must read for anyone who is searching for any answers on any level whatsoever. That is the talent of this great writer and teacher; absolutely anyone can relate to what he is saying. He is a unique explainer, like no other. This is just another of his already large collection of masterpieces.

This book has given me many foods for thought. After reading it I ordered three more copies which I intend to give to friends of mine who have had some very bad things happen to them. I hope it will comfort them as it has me.

This book is much better than Kushner's "Why bad things happen to good people". This book does not take God out of the equation and gives the reader some practical advise on how to deal with situations. Bleich looks at the world and acknowledges that God is always a part of it, and then explains how the world can be so bad when God is clearly good. This is a very inspirational read for people of all religions and I have used this book in my own life many times.

An awesome task: Very balanced and trying to give answers from the Torah point of view without getting the feeling that everything happening on earth is "round and crystal-clear".............
Highly recommended.