The Concealment of the Creator
Q: If the Creator is benevolent and wants us to enjoy ourselves, then what is the source of our pain?
A: The Creator is the only source of everything that exists. Where could anything else come from? Because only perfection comes from the Creator, when it encounters man – who holds opposite attributes to those of the Creator – that perfection is felt as the opposite of what it is: imperfection and, in fact, torment. This phenomenon is called “the concealment of the Creator,” and herein lies man’s problem.
Our task, therefore, is to resemble the Creator by correcting ourselves, so that His influence on us will be felt in its true form, as benevolence. In that state, we should naturally equalize ourselves in every attribute with the Creator, and if one of our attributes is not yet complete, we will naturally feel (to that extent) the influence of the Creator as incomplete.
In order to prevent us from sinning (by accusing and cursing the Creator), so as not to distance us further still from Him (as with impure powers), The Creator hides from us. As long as we feel unhappy, we cannot see that everything comes from the Creator, and only when we begin to feel good, does the Creator reveal Himself as the source of that goodness.
Q: If the torments are a means that aid man, why is it said that the desire to suffer comes from impure forces?
A: I don’t understand the term, “means that aid man.” It is an expression that praises pain, something which is completely contrary to the purpose of creation. The purpose of creation is to delight us. Pain is an undesirable feeling to the Creator, and its purpose is only to force us to connect to the path of correction.
The sensation of pain distances us from the Creator. It is sent only to shock us, who otherwise desire only rest. By our nature, we operate by the law of maximum pleasure for minimum effort. But when pain forces us to wake up and remember the goal, by searching for the source of the pain, then we should immediately turn to the Creator, as this was the sole purpose for which the pain was sent.
At the end of correction, when we will have used all our powers and desires correctly, there will be no room for even the smallest hint of pain. On the contrary, we will feel wholeness, pleasure and serenity.