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If God Is Good, Why Is The World So Bad? (Paperback)

by Benjamin Blech (Author) "Thus begins one of the most famous of Biblical stories, the tale of a good and pious man, who, even when beset by calamity and..." (more)
Key Phrases: Rabbi Yani, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva (more...)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
As the title suggests, Blech picks up where Harold Kushner's classic When Bad Things Happen to Good People leaves off, and offers a Jewish corrective to Kushner's view. (For more on Kushner's latest work, see below.) If we believe that we are not at fault for what happens to us, Blech argues, "the feeling that the world is spinning out of control leaves one more frightened than ever." It is this "gloomy anarchistic view" that Blech counters in his "quest for serenity in the face of adversity." Biblical heroes who faced suffering and divine tests-Job, Abraham, Moses among them-serve as models for Blech's questions and answers, which are further enriched by Talmudic and midrashic teachings. Divided into three parts (Why Bad Things Happen to Good People; Why We Die; Why We Suffer), the book addresses prickly and poignant questions like life after death; the death of children; blame and guilt; aging, pain and illness; and faith after the Holocaust. An Orthodox rabbi and the child of Holocaust survivors, Blech offers several perspectives in the hope that each reader will find his or her truth in at least one; all are grounded in his belief that faith holds the answer. We will never be able to fully explain why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper, he posits; maybe we need the suffering to allow us to mature, change and gain understanding. The bottom line, he stresses, is that "having questions doesn't make you a non-believer. Doubting isn't the same as denying."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Picks up where Harold Kushner's classic When Bad Things Happen to Good People leaves off..."

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Product Details

Paperback: 250 pages
Publisher: Simcha Press (September 8, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0757301231
ISBN-13: 978-0757301230
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #312,052 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Thus begins one of the most famous of Biblical stories, the tale of a good and pious man, who, even when beset by calamity and tragedy, never falters in his allegiance to God. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Rabbi Yani, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva, Garden of Eden, Rav Ami, Ten Commandments, Rabbi Abohu, God Himself, Promised Land, Rabbi Tarfon, Red Sea, Satmar Rebbe, Tree of Life, Final Solution, Helen Keller, Persian Empire, Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, Rabbi Yehoshuah

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 16 books:

When Bad Things Happen To Good People by Harold S. Kushner on 4 pages
When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner on 4 pages
Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity: Essays by Abraham Joshua Heschel in Back Matter
Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives by Brian L. Weiss on page 86
What Dreams May Come by Sherrilyn Kenyon on page 85

See all 16 books this book cites

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	88% buy the item featured on this page: If God Is Good, Why Is The World So Bad? 4.7 out of 5 stars (10) $9.85
	8% buy The Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo's Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican 3.4 out of 5 stars (43) $10.78
	4% buy When Bad Things Happen to Good People 4.1 out of 5 stars (144) $8.58

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Answers For All of Us, Jews and Non-Jews Alike, October 16, 2003

By	James D. Long (Springdale, AR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Hard Job, Well Done, November 26, 2003

By A Customer

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.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice perspective on the problem of suffering, March 5, 2005

By	A. Calabrese "othernj" (NJ--United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars If God Is Good, Why Is The World So Bad?
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... Read more

Published 5 months ago by harold jitschak bueno de mesquita

5.0 out of 5 stars things to think about
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... Read more

Published 16 months ago by Robert Fragman

4.0 out of 5 stars Some valuable observations here
There are some valuable observations in this work, and a presentation of various answers given in the Jewish Tradition to the suffering of the world. Read more

Published on January 12, 2005 by Shalom Freedman

4.0 out of 5 stars not bad, could have been slightly more sophisticated
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... Read more

Published on August 22, 2004 by Michael Lewyn

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!
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? Read more

Published on November 2, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book for teenagers!
I have read this and other books by the same author, and find them all great for strengthening my beliefs. Read more

Published on September 14, 2003 by Daniel B

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolutely Unquestionable Must!
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. Read more

Published on September 10, 2003

› See all 10 customer reviews...

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