Who Defines Whom: Me or the Illness?

#קשרי_מלחמה

#אשתי

מסכת זבים, פרק ד'

רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, נִדָּה שֶׁיָּשְׁבָה עִם הַטְּהוֹרָה בְּמִטָּה, כִּפָּה שֶׁבְּרֹאשָׁהּ טָמֵא מִדְרָס. יָשְׁבָה בִסְפִינָה, כֵּלִים שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ הַנֵּס שֶׁבַּסְּפִינָה טְמֵאִין מִדְרָס. נוֹטֶלֶת עֲרֵבָה מְלֵאָה בְגָדִים, בִּזְמַן שֶׁמַּשָּׂאָן כָּבֵד, טְמֵאִין. בִּזְמַן שֶׁמַּשָּׂאָן קַל, טְהוֹרִין. זָב שֶׁהִקִּישׁ עַל כְּצוֹצְרָא, וְנָפַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, טָהוֹר:

https://www.sefaria.org.il/Mishnah_Zavim.4.1?lang=he&with=all&lang2=he

From this, it follows that when a person faces difficulties in life, when things do not come easily, those very challenges have the power to enliven their soul. At the moment they choose—whether willingly or unwillingly—to bear them, those emotional or physical struggles draw life from them, and their name is called upon those struggles, not the other way around. The person is the source of life, and those challenges are acted upon by them. However, when things come easily, there is a sense of a lack of deep connection between oneself and those actions.