Suffering In Yehoshua November's Poem 'Two Worlds Exist'

In Yehoshua November’s poem “Two Worlds Exist,” the persona struggles with how to handle his suffering. The persona begins to ponder, “And if I wear an ice suit, I thought, / perhaps I will finish my days without roasting / in the oven of what one human does to another / or the furnace of what G-d does to man” (I). The persona distinguishes between two types of suffering and thinks about how to prevent each one. He realizes that he needs to protect himself from suffering at the hands of people and suffering at the hand of G-d. Despite this realization, the persona proposes this idea just theoretically, as he understands that there is no such thing as an ‘ice suit’, and no real way to prevent suffering. He understands that suffering and sorrow

The persona recalls hearing, “I remember standing in a room, thirty years / ago, the Rebbe raising his voice to call G-d / to task” (1). The Rebbe’s approach to dealing with his problems is praying to G-d and calling ‘G-d to task.’ The Rebbe does not succumb to or accept his sufferings, but he challenges the omnipotent. He chooses to face his suffering. Similarly, later in the first stanza, when a different Rabbi forgets his white Sabbath shirt, he does not hide from this embarrassment and decide to not daven, but he decides to make the most of this situation and pray in his undershirt. Although this is an example of minor suffering, it is important to deal with all types of pain this way. The persona then questions what role this minor embarrassment plays in greater suffering. As the persona is figuring out how he should deal with his miseries, he looks upon two role models and sees them facing their suffering and not hiding from

He says, “I would like to rise up / and lodge a complaint before G-d, / but each morning I wake late for prayers / and rush to catch up with the other worshipers” (II). The persona realizes that in order to deal with suffering, he must face it head on, for he at least wants to ‘lodge a complaint before G-d’. Despite this realization, there is still something holding the persona back. The persona knows that he must face his suffering, but at this point he too afraid to do so. If he really wants to deal with his sorrow he would make sure to wake up on time, but he is too afraid and does not want to admit