Jewish Suffering

There is a very enigmatic conversation that takes place in the first “meeting” between Hashem and Moshe.  Moshe says he can’t go back to Klal Yisroel because they will ask him what is the name of God? Hashem responds אהיה אשר אהיה and His name is אהיה.  Then Hashem adds that Moshe should say that the God of the forefathers spoke to him, זה שמי לעולם וזה זכרי לדר דר.  Why is there a need to know God’s name, and Klal Yisroel already knows who Hashem is?  Furthermore, what is the response?  And why does Hashem first say one thing and then another?  The whole episode is very difficult, and the commentaries offer different interpretations. 

I will share an interpretation based upon Rashi and the elucidation of his words in Likutay Sichos volume 26 sicha 3.   

Moshe saw firsthand the horrific suffering Klal Yisroel was going through in Egypt.  He was greatly troubled if indeed we are the chosen nation, if God loves us so much why is he making us endure such suffering?  If God loves us so much how can he have let millions of Jews die in pogroms, a holocaust, terrorist bombings etc.  It is the question that haunted so many Jews after the Holocaust.  It is a question asked from great feelings of pain.  There is no answer that can be given to a question asked from such deep feelings of pain.  And indeed, Hashem doesn’t answer the question.  He says I feel you’re pain, I too have tremendous pain over the great tragedies that befall our people.  אהיה אשר אהיה, I to suffer you're pain.  Full stop, the answer to such questions is that there is no answer that will justify you’re pain.  Only after this message seeps in, does Hashem continue.

If that is the case, the question looms even larger, if Hashem Himself is in pain why does the suffering persist?  Hashem says it is out of mercy, I am (שם הו') the God of your forefathers, you are indeed my children.  It is out of mercy that the suffering must occur.  However, there isn’t an explanation that will satisfy you.  The answer is hidden, זה שמי לעלם (חסר), it for now is a mystery, זה זכרי לדר דר, in the end of time the answer will be clarified.  

We can't explain human, especially Jewish suffering, but we must have emunah that in the totality of the greater picture it makes sense.