ושמחת בכל הטוב אשר נתן לך ה’ אלקיך (כי תבא כו:יא)

You shall rejoice with all the goodness that Hashem, your G-d, has given you…

The talmidim of the Mezritcher Maggid zt’’l once asked for an explanation for “חייב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שהוא מברך על הטובה” – a person is supposed to thank Hashem for the bad just as he thanks for the good. How is it possible?  When the Mezrithcer Maggid heard their question, he sent them to Rebbe, Reb Zisha of Anipoli zt’’l.

They found the Rebbe Reb Zisha learning in Beis Medrash, wearing tattered clothes, poor, and without owning any possessions. They shared their question with the Rebbe Reb Zisha, and he responded that he didn’t understand why the Maggid sent them to him, saying, “Since I never experienced anything bad in my life, therefore, I don’t know how it feels to thank Hashem for something bad.”

When the talmidim heard his simple reply, despite his dire situation, they understood the answer to their question.

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