Bag of Troubles

There is a story from Jewish tradition about a woman named Rebecca.


Rebecca went to see her Rabbi’s wife, the Rebbetzin. ”Rebbetzin,” she said, “I don’t know what to do. I have so many troubles. My children do not listen to me, they take me for granted and they don’t appreciate what they have in their lives. I struggle to make a living with my husband, we can put food on the table but not much else and I am always so tired, I feel the problems of my life are too much for me to bear. What can I do?”

The Rebbitzin was the wisest woman in town, many believed her even more wise than her husband, Rebecca felt certain that she could help her. The Rebbetzin sat very still. She looked to the ceiling, she looked down again. She looked to the ceiling, she looked down again, then she suddenly leapt from her chair, “I know what you must do,” she said, “go home and place all your troubles in a bag and bring them here this afternoon at 3. Now go and don’t be late.”

Rebecca raced home and began collecting all her troubles, she placed them in her bag and headed back to the Rebbetzin’s house, dragging her bag behind her.

When she arrived she heard the buzz of women chatting and when she walked inside she saw every woman from the village there, each with her own bag. Some big, some small, some heavy, some light. The Rebbetzin called for silence. “Now Rebecca,” she said, “I want you to go around the room, look at everyone else’s bag and you may swap yours for any one of them.” Well Rebecca was thrilled! Nobody’s troubles could be as bad as hers. She spotted the smallest bag and made her way directly there. When she went to lift it, the bag was incredibly heavy, she looked inside. There was only one trouble there, the death of a child. Rebecca quickly closed the bag and moved on, that was too great a tragedy. She moved around the room lifting bags until she found one that was large but incredibly light, she looked inside and saw the vast emptiness of loneliness. She felt a wave of sadness and despair wash over her as she closed that bag and searched for another. The next bag was so beautiful on the outside that Rebecca felt sure that it was the bag for her, it seemed so perfect, but as she looked inside she saw the darkness, the self doubt, the insecurity, the pain of abandonment, quickly she closed it. Further along she lifted another bag, it moved and jumped, inside was violence and anger.

One after the other she opened the bags and found so much hurt, anguish and suffering that when she looked over at her own she found that it was much smaller than when she entered the room. She thanked the Rebbitzen, collected her bag and headed home.