733. In Its Time, I Will Hasten It

“Rabbi Alexandrai said, ‘Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi Rami said, ‘It is written, ‘In its time,’ and it is written, ‘I will hasten it,’ ‘I the Lord will hasten it in its time.’ If they are rewarded, I will hasten it. If they are not rewarded, in its time’’” (Sanhedrin 98).

In other words, the whole world must achieve the complete benefit and receive the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations, and the whole world must feel the good in the manner of “happy are you in this world.”

Rabbi Eliezer says, “If Israel repent, they are redeemed. If not, they are not redeemed.” Rabbi Yehoshua said to him, “If they do not repent, are they not redeemed? But the Creator places over them a king whose decrees are as harsh as Haman’s, Israel repent, and He reforms them” (Sanhedrin 97b).

We should interpret the meaning of “a king whose decrees are as harsh as Haman’s.” This means that everything that the evil inclination sentences them to do, they will feel in these actions a flavor that is as harsh and as bitter as Haman. Then, since man cannot live without pleasure, everyone will pursue the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] and will feel there the real pleasure.

This is the meaning of “And Israel repent,” since they will not feel any flavor of pleasure in corporeal matters. It follows that the flavor that is as harsh as Haman, which they will feel in corporeal things, will compel them to reform.