Does God Think Less of Finland?

Real questions, submitted by actual OU Torah followers, with their real answers. NOTE: For questions of practical halacha, please consult your own rabbi for guidance.

Q. Am I been punished in some way by not being born in the US and having the chance to experience going to school in the US? I raise this question as a Jew because, although it is a global faith, it very much appears to be US-specific and US-oriented in terms of speakers, leading rabbis, materials, resources and shuls found in North America. 

In other words, why did God specifically make some people US citizens, yet me a Finnish citizen instead? Is God punishing me by making me a member of a smaller nation? 

A. Thanks for your question, which was forwarded to my attention. 

Some people are born Jewish, others are non-Jewish. Some are male and others are female. Some people are born healthy and others are sickly. Some are born rich; others, poor. Some people are born in the US, others in Europe, Africa, Asia or elsewhere. We're not all dealt the same hand but that doesn't mean that God is playing favorites. He's giving each of us what we need to fulfill our spiritual potential.

There's a 1976 comedy called The Big Bus, in which José Ferrer portrays the villain, who is in an iron lung. The villain’s brother, who is jealous because of their father’s alleged favoritism, complains, “How come you got the iron lung?” Ferrer’s character replies, “I’m the one who was sick!” The brother is so hyper-focused on what he doesn’t have (an iron lung) that he completely overlooks what he does have (his health). 

No one has every advantage - each of us has a unique challenge, specifically tailored to our spiritual needs. So yes, you may face more difficulty in area A but God has given you more advantages than others in area B. The same is true for every person in the world.

So I don't think God had it out for you by placing you in Finland. Quite the opposite: I think He put you there because it had what your soul needed to reach its best potential.

Rabbi Jack's latest book, Ask Rabbi Jack, is now available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.