וכשיתבונן האדם בעומק הבנתו

Now when a man will contemplate in the depths of his understanding

ויצייר בדעתו הווייתו יש מאין בכל רגע ורגע ממש

and will [moreover] picture in his mind how he comes into being ex nihilo at every single moment, so that he is affected at every moment of his existence by G‑d’s wisdom,

האיך יעלה על דעתו כי רע לו

how can he entertain the thought that he is suffering,

או שום יסורים מבני, חיי ומזוני

or has any afflictions related to “children, life, i.e., health, and sustenance,”

או שארי יסורין בעולם

or whatever other worldly sufferings?

הרי האין, שהיא חכמתו יתברך, הוא מקור החיים והטוב והעונג

For the ayin which is G‑d’s Chochmah is the source of life, goodness and delight.

והוא העדן שלמעלה מעולם הבא

It is the Eden that transcends the World to Come,

The World to Come — the Garden of Eden — is the most sublime form of bliss experienced by the soul in apprehending G‑dliness. This level, lofty as it may be, is however but a garden, a stage once removed from the spiritual delights which flow to it from the source which is called Eden. It is this level of Divinity that constantly creates and vitalizes all living beings.

רק מפני שאינו מושג, לכן נדמה לו רע או יסורים

except that, because it is not apprehensible, one imagines that he is suffering, or afflicted.

אבל באמת, אין רע יורד מלמעלה, והכל טוב

In truth, however,15 “No evil descends from above,” and everything is good,

רק שאינו מושג, לגודלו ורב טובו

though it is not apprehended [as such] because of its immense and abundant goodness, at a level which is inconceivable to man.

The life-force of all things, even those that we perceive as evil, as found within its source is truly good. In fact, it is such a lofty manner of good that it remains faithful to its source, and as such is not apprehensible to man as good. In this it differs from the other form of good that is able to descend to so low a level that even mortals can perceive its goodness. This higher form of goodness, because it retains its status at the outset of its revelation, is clothed in this world in a garb of pain and evil, inasmuch as its goodness has yet to be revealed to man.

This may be more fully understood in light of the Alter Rebbe’s explanation16 of the verse,17 “Happy is the man whom You, G‑d, chasten.” (In the original of this verse in the Holy Tongue, the Divine Name is spelled with yud and hei, which are also the first two letters of the Four-Letter Divine Name.) The Alter Rebbe explains there that suffering stems from the revelation of these first two letters “in the hidden world” (i.e., on a plane which is hidden from our understanding), before the revelation of the latter two letters (vav and hei) descends into the “revealed world.” Thus, suffering as found within its source is truly good.

In this spirit, the Alter Rebbe explains18 the conduct of Nachum Ish Gamzu, whose response to all occurrences was the remark,19 Gam zu letovah — “This, too, is for the good.” This remark not only meant that an event that seemed to be evil would eventually evolve into good, but that the event itself, by virtue of its source, was good in its present form as well; its inherent goodness would be revealed at some later date.

וזהו עיקר האמונה שבשבילה נברא האדם

And this is the essence20 of the faith for which man was created:21

להאמין דלית אתר פנוי מיניה

to believe that22 “There is no place void of Him” — i.e., G‑d is everywhere —

ובאור פני מלך, חיים

and23 “In the light of the King’s countenance there is life.”

When one encounters the King face to face, he is granted life. If in this temporal world a man sentenced to death should encounter his king, his sentence may be commuted and he is granted life, for “In the light of the king’s countenance there is life.” The same is true Above: the omnipresence of G‑d, the King of the world, provides everything with life.

ועל כן עוז וחדוה במקומו

Accordingly,24 “Strength and gladness are in His place,”

The fact that G‑d is found everywhere should encourage a man by strengthening his trust, and thereby fill him with joy, for whatever predicament he finds himself in, G‑d is there too. And wherever G‑d is present, there is “strength and gladness.”

הואיל והוא רק טוב כל היום

because He is but good all the time.

ועל כן, ראשית הכל, שישמח האדם ויגל בכל עת ושעה

Therefore, first of all,25 man ought to be happy and joyous at every time26 and hour,

ויחיה ממש באמונתו בה׳, המחיה ומטיב עמו בכל רגע

and truly live by his faith27 in G‑d, Who animates him and acts kindly towards him at every moment.28