Vayikra

Sefer Vayikra introduces us to the laws of sacrifice. One of the rules is that every Korban had to have salt on it- ולא תשבית מלך ברית, you may not discontinue the covenant of salt. The Gemara tells us that Raish Lakish equated this mention of ברית by salt to the mention of ברית by יסורים, hardships, that just like salt tenderizes the meat so too hardships tenderize a person by erasing his sins. 

The Sefer Shomer Emunim says that all hardships, even small hardships, that a person faces on this world, cleanse him from needing hardships in the next world, for even small hardships in this world one is saved from great punishment in Gehennom. This is true only if one believes and recognizes that it's coming from above and doesn't question Hashem. If one would understand this, then, at the advent of hardships, one would dance with sheer delight at the opportunity that Hashem is giving him 

The Chafetz Chaim says that one should accept hardships humbled and not try to run away from them for it is impossible for one to run away from that which is coming to him. The Steipler writes similarly that all one’s troubles are decreed on him on Rosh Hashana & there is no way to run away. If one tries to avoid these troubles, then another one will just come in its place. 

Chazal tell us that no one can avoid hardships; praiseworthy is the one whose hardships come from Torah. As we just said, there is no way to avoid hardships completely. Even if one could, he would be losing out on the eternal benefits. So what can we do to make our hardships as easy to handle as possible, while still receiving the eternal benefit of having sins erased? 

Once, Reb Elchanan Wasserman came to a town to collect money for his yeshiva. He asked one of the rabbis of the town to come around with him to the people to help him collect. When the rabbi was hesitant because he was going to be embarrassed to go around collecting with him, Reb Elchonan told him "you should know if you are supposed to get embarrassed, then it will come to you regardless of what you do. You can't run from it, so it's better to suffer embarrassment because of the Torah then having it come from somewhere else. 

Reb Elchanan wrote in his sefer that when one is busy & works hard at doing a mitzva or is embarrassed because of the mitzvah, then Hashem will decrease his work & embarrassment somewhere else

The Vilna Goan was once teaching his students Mussar when he said was that people think that the way Gehennom is described is exaggerated. One should know that that's a mistake, for there is no exaggeration. It's exactly as described. When one of the students heard that, he became physically ill & confined to bed. When the Goan heard how sick this student was & why, he went to visit. While he was there, he got up & said "I had told you that all the descriptions of Gehennom were true. That's a fact.  However, there was one thing I forgot to mention; had I said it, you never would have gotten sick. If a person would know how much the pain & troubles of this world serve to cleanse him of the punishments of the next world, one wouldn't hesitate to accept on himself the worst of hardships. 

Now, since most of us wouldn't want real hardships on this world & also not the real punishments of the next world, the way to accomplish both would be to put all our energy into Torah & mitzvos, for if one were to lose sleep because he was learning or doing chesed, that's classified as hardships.  If one were to be embarrassed in front of his friends for doing the right thing, for going that extra step, then he won't be embarrassed for other things & it will erase his sins.

Let's take this opportunity to strengthen our commitment to Torah & mitzvos not only to get their reward but to ensure that the hardships we endure will also cleanse us of any sins we may have! 

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