The Farmer and the Field

In the last weeks in Kovno, as the roundups and killings grew closer, people came to Rav Elchonon with the question on everyone’s lips. “Why my mother and father? Why my wife and children?” He had no reply to give. “I still do not know the answer,” he told his talmidim, “but at least I understand why the question cannot be answered.” Then he told them a parable.

A man who knew nothing about farming asked a farmer to teach him. The farmer led him to a beautiful green field, and then plowed it into rows of brown furrows. The man was shocked. “Be patient,” said the farmer. “You will see.” Next the farmer showed him a sack of plump kernels of wheat, and then buried them in the ground. Once more the man cried out that the farmer was ruining something beautiful. At every stage of growing, harvesting and grinding the wheat the man protested, and each time the farmer asked him to be patient.

At last the farmer took a golden loaf from the oven, cut it, and gave his guest a thick slice with butter. “Now,” he said, “you understand.”

Rav Elchonon explained that Hashem is the Farmer, and that we are the ones who cannot begin to grasp His ways. The Jewish people will understand why all of this happened only once the process has run its course. When Mashiach has come, we will see that even what seemed destructive and painful was part of a process that produced goodness and beauty.