If God Is Good, Why Is the World So Bad?

In these troubled times, people are asking very difficult questions about God and their faith:

• If I suffer, does that mean I deserve it?
• Why do innocent people, especially children, die tragically?
• How can God be so cruel?
• Does God ever intervene during times of trouble?
• Who really runs the world-God or man?
• Do my prayers do any good?
• Why does God allow sickness, torture and evil to exist?

Benjamin Blech admits, the answers are not simple. There is no one-size-fits-all explanation. Indeed, not only are there many answers, but in different situations several explanations may apply. Blech wrote this book as an intellectual analysis of Jewish wisdom on the subject of suffering. His theories are the fruit of thousands of years of debate, examination and struggle. Jewish wisdom teaches that there are rich and inspiring answers to the ultimate question: If God is good, why is the world so bad?

Take part in the most important spiritual journey of all-the quest for serenity in the face of adversity-and discover that in the accumulated wisdom of the ages lies a time-tested solution for turning despair into hope and sorrow into faith.

In These Troubled Times, People Are Asking Very Difficult Questions About God and Their Faith . . .

• Why does God allow sickness, torture and evil to exist?
• If I suffer, does that mean I deserve it?
• Why do innocent people, especially children, die tragically?
• Does God ever intervene during times of trouble?
• Who really runs the world—God or man?
• Do my prayers do any good?

As author Benjamin Blech admits, the answers are not simple. There is no one-size-fits-all explanation. Indeed, not only are there many answers, but in different situations several explanations may apply. This fascinating analysis of Jewish wisdom on the subject of suffering is the fruit of thousands of years of debate, examination and struggle. Jewish wisdom teaches there are rich and inspiring answers to the ultimate question: If God is good, why is the world so bad?

“Benjamin Blech puts God back where He belongs—in the driver’s seat of human events. This raises all sorts of fascinating questions that Rabbi Blech answers with clarity and wisdom. Drawing on centuries of Jewish learning, Rabbi Blech has given us a book that both comforts and inspires.”
—Ari L. Goldman, author, The Search for God at Harvard and Living a Year of Kaddish

“Rabbi Benjamin Blech deserves recognition as a 21st century sage—warm-hearted, wise, witty, insightful and, ultimately, inspirational. His wonderful new book is enhanced by his rich and phenomenally varied background as well as a prose style that is lucid, forceful and captivating. In short, every reader—Jew or Gentile, believer or skeptic—will feel enriched by a work that enhances our understanding and engagement with some of life’s most persistent and important questions.”
—Michael Medved, radio talk show host and author, Hollywood vs. America

“Rabbi Blech presents a revolutionary new book that will literally change the way we deal with life’s most difficult obstacles. In it, he provides groundbreaking answers to man’s most perplexing problems. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever contemplated the complex issues of life and death.”
—Jewsweek Magazine

“Ours is a generation in which many of us have to cope with traumas of both a personal and global nature. Rabbi Benjamin Blech’s latest book is an important read for those who seek insight and understanding.”
—Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, author, The Committed Life and The Committed Marriage