Talmud – Mas. Berachoth 5a as translated by https://halakhah.com/pdf/zeraim/Berachoth.pdfIt has been taught: R. Simeon b. Yohai says: The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel three
precious gifts, and all of them were given only through sufferings. These are: The Torah, the Land of
Israel and the world to come. Whence do we know this of the Torah? — Because it is said: Happy is
the man whom Thou chastenest, o Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law.34 Whence of the Land of
Israel? — Because it is written: As a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee,35
and after that it is written: For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land.36 Whence of the
world to come? — Because it is written: For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light,
and reproofs of sufferings are the way of life.37
precious gifts, and all of them were given only through sufferings. These are: The Torah, the Land of
Israel and the world to come. Whence do we know this of the Torah? — Because it is said: Happy is
the man whom Thou chastenest, o Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law.34 Whence of the Land of
Israel? — Because it is written: As a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee,35
and after that it is written: For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land.36 Whence of the
world to come? — Because it is written: For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light,
and reproofs of sufferings are the way of life.37
Footnotes
(34) Ps. XCIV, 12.
(35) Deut. VIII, 5.
(36) Ibid. v. 7.
(37) Prov. VI, 23.
One friend brings another friend. This blog post is located at https://vilnagaon.org/3gifts/