Q:
Why does Hashem test a person almost to the breaking point?
A:
The question should be put like this: Why does Hashem test a person? And the answer is, it’s for the person’s benefit because there’s no greater success in life than to withstand the tests. And the world is full of tests for that purpose, to give us opportunities to succeed in them.
But the test never exceeds our abilities. It’s always within our abilities. And in most cases the test is far within our abilities. A test that you say is ‘near the breaking point’ is only given to the greatest of men. But to us ordinary mortals we are never tested in that way.
Here is a person who was passing by a treife delicatessen store and his mouth is watering so he says, ‘Hashem why are You testing me to the breaking point?’
Most of our tests are not so difficult.
This I have to add however. Sometimes a person has so accustomed himself to wicked things, he has developed wicked appetites that it is beyond his breaking point. But then it’s nobody’s fault but his. He is not given any credit. If a person got himself into wicked habits then it’s his job to use extreme methods to get rid of them and he shouldn’t blame Hashem.
But otherwise Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn’t lead a person into such a situation where the tests are too difficult for him. And that they should be anywhere near the breaking point, that’s only האלוקים נסה את אברהם. Only the greatest get such tests.
TAPE # 227 (July 1978)
