בֶּן הֵא הֵא אוֹמֵר, לְפוּם צַעֲרָא אגרא: (אבות ה:כג)
Ben Hei Hei says: The reward is proportional to the pain. (Ethics 5:23)
At the end of Avot’s fifth chapter, Ben Hei Hei links the agra (reward) for Torah study and mitzvah observance to the tza’ar, the pain and effort involved. This raises an important question: Why does this connection exist? Why is the reward proportional to the tza’ar?
The answer depends on how we interpret the agra mentioned in the Mishnah. What type of reward is it referring to?
Reward
The conventional explanation is that the Mishnah refers to the sechar (reward) granted by Hashem. Hashem rewards us most for fulfilling obligations that are challenging and painful. The Sefer Chassidim explains that Hashem values our efforts as well as our accomplishments; the more effort we expend, the more reward we earn.
Benefit
Avot D'Rebbe Nosson appears to interpret agra differently, linking it to the idea that effort and pain, tza’ar, is inherently “good for man." Here, agra refers to the intrinsic benefit we naturally receive from tza’ar, rather than an external heavenly reward.
What natural benefit do we gain from effort and pain?
Comprehension - The “Butter" of Torah
The Meiri connects Ben Hei Hei’s statement to Torah learning, defining the reward as our comprehension of Torah. We grasp ideas most effectively when we put significant effort into understanding them. The more effort we invest in learning, the deeper our understanding of the material. Thomas Edison famously stated: “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."
The Meiri’s explanation echoes the Gemara’s assertion: “Yagati u’matzati, ta’amin - (only) one who claims that ‘I worked and found’ should be believed." It is hard work that enables complete comprehension.
For this reason, Rav Kook rejected efforts to make Torah learning overly accessible. He maintained that hard work is essential for achieving advanced Torah understanding. This is how he explained the Gemara’s assertion that “the butter of Torah" is attained only by those who “spit out their mother’s milk." Those who settle for “mother’s milk," or accept only what is spoon-fed, do not invest the effort required to produce “butter," representing the deeper and more advanced form of Torah. While supporting learners is important, excessive spoon-feeding should be avoided, as additional effort leads to greater comprehension.
Calvin Coolidge observed, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
Retention - The Torah of “Af"
The Rambam connects Ben Hei Hei’s statement to our retention of Torah learning. We retain ideas that we work diligently to understand. Reish Lakish made this point strongly, asserting that Torah learning “remains" only with those who “kill themselves" to attain it.
Easy come, easy go. Only the Torah for which we make sacrifices remains with us over the years. Shlomo HaMelech referred to this as the Torah studied “b’af - under duress." Even Shlomo HaMelech, the wisest of men, acknowledged that the wisdom he retained most was that which he struggled to attain.
Appreciation
We retain what we work hard to attain because we value it more deeply. We care most about what we struggle and sacrifice for. This is why Hashem arranged for His three greatest gifts - Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and Olam Haba - to all be nikneit b’yisurin (acquired through suffering). We appreciate the difficult missions; the tza’ar we experience enhances our appreciation for the goals we accomplish.
The Beit Yosef and the Ramchal viewed this appreciation as the reason for Hashem’s creation of our world. The reality of Hashem’s hidden presence allows us to choose to commit ourselves to Him. As a result, our reward in the World to Come - a close relationship with Hashem - becomes more meaningful. We value relationships we work hard to develop more than those that come easily.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks applied this concept to explain the correlation between the difficulty of observing Yamim Tovim and their level of observance: the most challenging holidays are also the most widely observed. Pesach, which requires the most extensive preparation, and Yom Kippur, the most demanding day, are observed by a higher percentage of Jews than less demanding holidays. We appreciate and are, therefore, most committed to what we find most difficult.
Growth - Making Ourselves Stronger
The struggles and pain we endure also strengthen our character and draw us closer to Hashem. People turn to Hashem and sense His presence more acutely during times of challenge. Many who experience hardship report feeling closer to Hashem during those periods than at any other time. Although no one desires suffering, they often miss the closeness to Hashem that accompanied those experiences.
Challenging circumstances also necessitate the development of additional skills and aspects of personality. Rav Meilech Biderman describes a street in Lakewood affected by Hurricane Sandy. The trees on one side of the street were all uprooted, while those on the opposite side remained standing. The only difference was that the first set of trees benefited from a custom-made watering system, while the second set did not. The readily available water allowed the first set to survive without developing deep roots, rendering them vulnerable. In contrast, the trees without easy access to water were forced to develop deep roots, which enabled them to withstand the hurricane. Difficult circumstances foster stronger survival skills.
Rabbi Norman Lamm applied this idea to chinuch ha’banim (child rearing) and cautioned against over-protecting:
“Without labor and struggle, without exertion of the intellect and long hours of patient plodding, one can neither master the intricacies of any profession, nor can one achieve great and satisfying success in any business.
It is true about children - if we over-protect them, if we train them to accept easy triumphs, the shortcuts to success, then they will grow up without backbones, nurtured on the infantile conception that a wishbone is enough.
Such people can never fly; they can only flutter. Their vision never soars, their dreams remain myopic, their conceptions petty."
No Pain…
Our Mishnah echoes the well-known saying: “No pain, no gain." Our “gain," or as the Mishnah terms it, our agra, is proportional not only to our accomplishments but also to the effort we invest and the pain we endure.
This agra consists of both heavenly blessings as well as our own internal growth. The challenges we face help us reach and sustain higher levels of learning and spirituality, and also inspire us to develop as stronger people.
May this realization help us face, and even celebrate, the opportunity to confront life’s challenges!
Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA. His new book, Essentials of Judaism, is available at rabbireuventaragin.com.