In Isaiah 5:5 we read of how G-d will remove the fence from around us during times of judgment because we have forsaken G-d and turned to believing in “the power and strength of my hand.”  Evil is destructive by nature, it consumes and is greedy seeking ever more resources.  Those bad seeds starve the good ones as it were.  Evil is always lurking, always waiting to strike.  All it takes is a crack in the defenses for evil to strike – the more risk-taking the evil, the smaller the opening they need.  The fence that we build communally and individually may not always be enough – it may be too short or too brittle for instance and so evil will attempt to take advantage.  Or when times are tough, people get more desperate and thus will take higher risks since their lives are already in danger (at least in the eye of the beholder; some people risk their lives for bread to survive while straggling in the streets while others worry their fortune will be lost, so they murder and cover up their crimes). 

                   A fence protects us, but it can also insulate us.  The rabbis added fences to the Torah so that the commandments would not be transgressed.  Removing a fence altogether is foolishness when beasts will come even if not in the day, but at night; or if a opportunistic neighbor sees it and decides to lay claim to the property you live and farm on!  A fence is not an extension of us, though we may build it - like the person who foolishly thinks they are so powerful ("by the strength and power of my hand").  A fence is built on what we want to let in, what we want to keep out, and is built through effort - through our actions and deeds in this world.  If we let wild beasts into our lives, of course we will be devoured.  But if we build high walls, we sit alone and miss out on opportunities to spread love, compassion, and joy.  Even still, we can invite others and be hospitable; to serve them food and drink much like the great Avraham (Abraham) and Sarah did.

                   Blaming G-d for what befalls us is the silliness of those who say that because evil exists, they don’t believe in G-d.  In actuality, that statement/argument rests on the foundation that G-d does exist, but they just don’t believe G-d is good – if not in general/essence then to them or those they care for specifically.  Others who believe in G-d may be so downtrodden that they fear G-d will allow things for them to get even worse and things may be life or death now for them, which causes a loss of trust and thus a despair and low-sense of self-esteem in them.  This is why it is so dangerous to believe all pain is bad/evil and on top of that, that pain/evil that happens to us is [always/all] divine punishment (the book of Job warns against that mentality and encourages us to uplift and show compassion to the other person, not try to provide theology or reasons for the person’s suffering when they are in suffering and/or not asking for that type of comfort; and especially not to kick them while they're down, saying they deserved it!).

                   As I’ve said before, that theology and mindset allows leaders to take advantage over the “weak” and oppress them (financially, politically, religiously, etc.).  Thankfully, Judaism teaches that those who castigate (even blaspheme!) G-d in their suffering are forgiven (Bava Basra 16b); it’s akin to the emergency worker rescuing a person, say from a flood, who fights the rescue worker – this is just human nature (fight or flight; and when you can’t flee yourself – thus needing the rescue worker – we have a tendency to go into “fight mode” though we can train to overcome this).  Training and growth take work – in any endeavor.  And if we don’t believe in spirituality, then we really are just animals; but it’s funny because “without” morality and spirituality, the inclination is to be lazy when animals even have to work to survive.  Thus, there is a spiritual component to humanity (the mere fact that so many know it is another, but there are values people have, even if it’s the value of sheer greed or laziness or other baser values), but some would prefer to make it subordinate to their animalistic self.  Judaism teaches the opposite and says that we are both, but that the divine should yoke or master the animal impulses.  Many religions teach we are only or ideally we should strive to only be divine (some of this was a result of the Gnostic influence on Westernism for instance, but Eastern and near Eastern worldviews sometimes advocate this as well).  Yet, it is truly the height of the human soul to have compassion on "lesser" creatures; while some animals prey against the weak, some do not - but it is humans that show how much value there is to compassion.  This is a greater height, regardless of whether one is spiritual or religious or not, than just being an animal with the sole value to maximize its pleasure and survivability at the expense of others.

                   Evil is a symptom of warped values; if you feed an animal the wrong food it gets sick and dies or if you only give a tree soil & water, but not sunlight it dies.  So how do we know what is good & evil?  Traditionalists (from any religion also) often just empathically state “G-d” or “Bible” or “Torah” or "miztvoth" without adequate reasoning and especially in contexts that those who don’t share those values just don’t understand.  There is actually a simple formula found in the Torah about this: the way we treat others, by what we do.  “Utopia” built on lies or injustice is intuitively understood to be rejected, fought against, and ultimately doomed to failure.  Sometimes the good natured people don’t want to cause anyone pain or harm (at least idealistically, but often you will find they act differently and will even advocate and be happy to inflict pain on those they perceive as their counterbalance), but as we see that is a false dichotomy – and as modern psychology now teaches we need accomplishment and work (there’s no real happiness to be gained by prosperity that comes to us without toil; it doesn’t satisfy us long-term, but usually entices addiction and obsessive behavior - hence why some people use prescription drugs and get hooked or why some people are addicted to video games or shopping or sex since the satisfaction becomes less potent as time goes on).  Others are overly harsh or exclusivist thinking that punishment is the only way to change people – not only has the person become a goal and the punisher the judge, but they miss the Torah and modern psychology’s teachings even that these do not serve to change people in the way we want, but often pushes them farther away!  G-d says G-d will coax and draw us near gently, like a young man to his wife; if that is so, then these overly “pious” religious peoples greatly miss the point of living up to G-dly standards (“to be holy as I am holy”).  Without humility, we will not rise beyond our sectarian and cultural differences.  We will not see the diversity G-d created in the world (just take human ideas out of it and look at the variety in the plants & animals even!); the plurality of this world is like a beautiful mosaic.  This is the true teaching of suffering: to be humble and to understand & acknowledge that G-d is the Source of all (it’s not just all about me and that everything is insignificant unless it is made significant because there is purpose and a Creator to the cosmos).  After all, if there is only One G-d then unity and amity between all creations - still able to stand firm in their personal convictions - is the true way to peace/wholeness.

                   This is the fundamental difference between humanity is that we generally agree on so much, but differ in the details and in the how (most want peace and justice for instance, but there are always those – even our leadership in politics and learning – that do not).  Perhaps Torah gives us insight into this?  Rabbi Cardozo, in his book "Crisis, Covenant, and Creativity: Jewish Thoughts for a Complex World" gives incredible Torah insights in his second chapter ("Tolerance and the Jewish Tradition" - part of this can be read online for free through these links, "Tolerance and Personal Conscience" and "Tolerance and Dialogue" - but I highly recommend you purchase his book for his incredible insights and source citations on this issue!).  Rather than attempt to summarize his work or expand on it, I will attempt to discuss this from another angle briefly.

                   Perhaps the quintessential theme in my writing and my general outlook is that objective reality is enhanced by diversity and variety; that hegemony is not essential to objective truth.  In Judaism, it is taught that there is only 1 G-d and is full of admonitions for the Jewish people to seek unity (achdus Yisrael) which is not to say non Jews should not seek unity (one can be specific without being exclusive; also the Jewish people are those who were “chosen” for extra responsibilities, not “chosen” in the sense of superior).  Judaism also teaches that at Sinai when the Jewish people as a whole nation experienced G-d’s revelation of Torah (rather than a limited revelation to only a few like nearly all, if not all, religions have been formed) that there were 70 “faces of Torah” – that is, that people perceived and understood different aspects of Torah.  While some pluralists use this to mean that all are equally valid, this is not necessary; rather the idea can be that many different perspectives are needed to complete the puzzle.  Put another way, each was but a hue of color in the full spectrum of the truth.  Put yet another way is that each unique thing has its unique place and thus contribution to the world; without one piece or if two pieces are in each other’s true spots, the puzzle is still not unified/complete (the root meaning of shalom – peace).  Put yet another way is that diversity can only exist in peaceful harmony when there is One G-d, one central Source and the Source of humanity’s pursuits/values.  

                   In summary: though we ourselves may only have one seed/crop in our fenced farm, we can still build fences in a way that allow us all to have different fields of seeds/crops and to share with one another.  While it may seem unfortunate to need fences to protect against the ever-present threat of evil, it is also an opportunity to take an active role in this world without feeling the need for self-indulgent praise.  It may also be comforting to know that it's not G-d that necessarily sends evil; evil is in our hands and its unfortunate so many are willing to take advantage of others, to encroach on their livelihood (like the bad seed taking up more nutrients from the "humble" seed that doesn't do so).  And it's not that G-d necessarily breaks open the whole fence, or even opens up a crack; sometimes it's our doing because we believe its only us who build the fence.  If that is so, then why blame G-d at all - or do you only want to take credit for the good and success that comes upon you, but you want to blame others for all your misfortune?  It works both ways.  While others may surely have tresspassed, we can still take responsibility - we can mend fences and most importantly, help others.  

                   After all, if G-d is only removing the fence G-d provides, that fence is a gift in the first place!  Some people are happy to suffer for a cause; know then, if you do suffer for being kind or considerate, you've done so for a great purpose just like the person who dies trying to deliver food to refugees being exterminated by militants.  Life is a gift from G-d the Creator; in this sense, all that we do should credit G-d and serve in creating & protecting life, rather than just being so self-indulgent as to worry about our own (for "no one is an island").  Sometimes it means like Avraham, taking in those tresspassers and being kind to them; other times, it means like Avraham also, taking them to battle when they would snuff out life (like Lot's in the example).  The questions are, what kind of fence is around us, what kind of fence are we building with our deeds, and how do I take responsibility?  Those who value mercy, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, joy - these are the real fences.  G-d did not necessarily remove the fence from around you; sometimes evil lurks and sometimes we ourselves, in our goodness, get hurt trying to help others.  This is but yet another opportunity to resist evil, by showing the consequences will not change our values - we will stand strong and in the end, we know that those who just consume will be consumed.  If the whole world were like that, it would be a very violent, chaotic and unpleasant world.  Thank G-d there are those who "go from strength to strength" through their tears and suffering (see Psalm 84) to be champions of good, justice, and mercy!