Suffering is the common denominator of being human; sooner or later, every one of us walks through hell. Rabbi Steve Leder’s hope is that no one has to walk through hell and come out empty handed. He speaks of how to find meaning in suffering and resolve to live a life worthy of the ordeal. Rabbi Leder, as senior rabbi of one of America’s largest synagogues, has counseled and held the hands of thousands of congregants suffering from illness, grief, family crises over the years — but it wasn’t until a terrible car accident put him through his own journey of pain and suffering that he became more available than ever before to listen to people’s stories about pain. His suffering made him a more enlightened, kinder, gentler, wiser, better human being (and he still wishes it hadn’t happened).