The Blessings Of Curses

 Shabbos (88b) תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: עֲלוּבִין וְאֵינָן עוֹלְבִין, שׁוֹמְעִין חֶרְפָּתָן וְאֵינָן מְשִׁיבִין, עוֹשִׂין מֵאַהֲבָה וּשְׂמֵחִין בְּיִסּוּרִין — עֲלֵיהֶן הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: וְאֹהֲבָיו כְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבֻרָתוֹ.  Why does the Gemorah and the possuk compare such a person to the sun out in its strength? 

The possuk (Tehillim 94:12) says אשרי הגבר אשר תיסרנו קא.  Why does the possuk use only two letters to make up the name of G-d instead of the usual four?  The kabbilists say that the first two letters of the name of Hashem represent the hidden worlds, עלמא דאיתכסיא while the last two letters represent that which we see and comprehend, עלמא דאיתגליא.  The Tanya (Ch. 26) explains that יסורין are a word of a revelation of עלמא דאיתכסיא and that is why the possuk uses the first two letters of the name of Hashem to describe those that are stricken by יסורין.  What does this mean?  I believe the explanation is with a yesod touched on in the past that everything that Hashem gives is good מפי עליון לא תצא רעות.  The issue is if a person is able to accept and contain that השפעה which Hashem is giving.  If one does not have the capability to hold it then it becomes a destructive force for the individual.  It is like nuclear energy that when it is harnessed can illuminate cities but when unleashed can destroy cities.  When one is subject to יסורין it is not a destructive force that comes and knocks out the person, rather it is tremendous חסד that Hashem sends forth and the person is not able to retain it so it becomes destructive. 

The Gemorah in Avodah Zarah (3b) says אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש אין גיהנם לעתיד לבא אלא הקדוש ברוך הוא מוציא חמה מנרתיקה ומקדיר רשעים נידונין בה וצדיקים מתרפאין.  Chassidus explains (the basis is in the Or Torah of the Maggid siman 248, see here) that the חמה refers to the גילוי of Hashem.  Through the existence of this world the possuk says שמש ומגן ה' אלקים.  There is a shield over the revelation of the name of הויה, of the שמש by the teva, the hanhaga of אלקים. In the days of the future, the world will be purified.  In that pure state, Hashem will remove the shield and the עלמא דאיתכסיא will be revealed and the shower of chesed will be available to the tzaddikim that can receive it.  Says the Tanya, that is the peshat in the Gemorah in Shabbos.  Those that experienced the revelation of the עלמא דאיתכסיא in this world in a negative manner will merit to bathe in its glory in the future when they are able to contain the great light.   

That is the peshat of the story cited in Hayom Tom Elul 17.  "The Alter Rebbe himself was the regular Torah-reader. Once he was away from Lyozna on the Shabbat of parsha Tavo, and the Mitteler Rebbe, then not yet Bar Mitzva, heard the Torah-reading from another. His anguish at the curses in the tochacha (section of admonition) caused him so much heartache, that on Yom Kippur. the Alter Rebbe doubted whether his son would be able to fast.  When they asked the Mitteler Rebbe - "Don't you hear this parsha every year?"  He replied, "When Father reads, one hears no curses."  This is the message of the תוכחה.  It is not a reading of terrible curses.  It is a reading of tremendous berachot but only if one is able to see them.