Your boss is harassing you? Your neighbour screams? Everyone is against you? You know exactly what each of them needs to improve. But what is Judaism's point of view on this subject?

Rav Shalom Arush explains: "On many levels, man must learn to get along with society. At work he has to deal with his colleges and his boss; in the army, with his companions and his superiors; at school, with classmates and teachers; at home, with his parents and siblings. Ordeals may occur in all areas: financially, when people take advantage of our money or use what belongs to us without permission; or social status; we may get humiliated, we do not get a longed-for promotion at work, people speak against us, or our honour may be compromised.”

When faced with challenges, each person should use the three rules of Emunah and believe that everything that happens comes from the Creator. Men are only emissaries sent from G-d to awaken us to perfect our Emunah (faith in G-d). If we manage to live like this, we will be able to lead a serene, calm and joyous life, and we will be able to get along with everyone ... and we will have a "good grade" in the World to come.

On the other hand, an unhappy person, deprived of Emunah, is constantly hurt and sad, and this sadness accompanies him everywhere and he finds no consolation. He constantly thinks of ways to take revenge on his neighbor and he defends himself against him. One moment he plans to act against him in a certain way, and at the next moment, in another way. At a given moment he plans to act alone, and the next moment he prefers to get others to join him. He is frightened and he fears being pursued. He is deprived of serenity, he is permanently sad, unhappy, angry, bitter and worried. He does not last long anywhere, because it seems to him that elsewhere, it will be better, and all this is because he thinks that he has been harmed.

Man must remember that men are only sticks sent by the Holy one blessed who strike us to awaken us, as it says: "He who spares his staff hates his son" (Mishlei 13, 24), and also, "Since the one He loves, the Lord chastens him" (Mishlei 3,12). Rabbi Nachman of Breslov also writes; 'When a man commits a sin, G-d forbids, he leaves the right path to take a tortuous path. On this path, there are several deviant lanes. When one begins to take such paths, G-d forbids, in this same perverse way, one is mistaken and one gets so entangled that it becomes difficult to extricate oneself from it. But Hashem, praised be He, has the custom of calling a man to order, as soon as He notices his errors; He calls him to come back and follow Him. He calls some by hinting to them, and others by actually hitting them.

When confronting a difficulty, a believing man looks into what he must rectify in his conduct; and due to his humility, he attributes his suffering solely to his lack of Emunah. He knows that if he speaks to Hashem to solicit His help, He will help him change his behavior. That is why he does Teshuvah and is granted a good life in this world and a good reward in Gan Eden too. On the other hand, when a man deprived of Emunah is hit by a misfortune, he attributes it to others and thinks of what they must rectify as if he himself had already attained perfection. Thus, his suffering is double because he does not have the possibility of perfecting his neighbor, and as he does not know that everything depends on his efforts, he remains depressed in his misfortune and constantly complains of suffering because of others.

The rule is that for all that man may suffer, Emunah is the only consolation! Know that nothing exists except Hashem. We should do everything to look for Him. Act according to these three rules, and pray for everything, and you will certainly succeed in life.