פרשת לך לך

The Mishnah in Avos (5:3) teaches us that Avraham Avinu had 10 tests and he withstood all of them, and this was to show us how beloved Avraham was by Hashem.  From this Mishnah, and other similar statements of Chazal, it is clear that the primary significance of Avraham’s life was his ability to endure incredible tribulations, all the while remaining steadfast in his belief in the one true God.  These words of Chazal seem particularly difficult.  We know that Avraham Avinu was the first person on the face of the earth to recognize God and teach the world of His existence.  He did this in the face of tremendous hostility and in a world that was not tolerant of new beliefs.  There is no doubt that this decision took considerable resolve and dedication.  Furthermore, Avraham Avinu was outstanding in the traits of kindness and hospitality.  In fact, he had a hotel in Be’er Sheva in which he wined and dined his guests and gave them room and board completely free of charge.  He did all this with the sole intention of bringing honor and aggrandizement to Hashem’s name.  Were none of these incredible accomplishments worthy of mention, to the extent that the only point Chazal seem to focus on that made Avraham beloved to Hashem were his ten tests?

I believe that we can gain insight into this topic from the holy words of the Ramban.  The Ramban has a little introduction to the chapter dealing with the Akeidah and he writes there that the purpose of a trial is to bring potential energy into reality.  If Hashem chooses to give any particular person a test, there is no doubt that he has the ability to pass that test, and Hashem just wants to give him the opportunity to exercise, in action, the strengths he has already built up on the inside.  Perhaps this can be compared to a great Torah scholar who has spent many years studying, but who has never had the chance to spread his Torah to anyone else.  Such a person has so much potential, but it will remain untapped unless he is given the opportunity to teach others, because as we know, only students can force a teacher to refine his Torah and take it to the next level, in which he is capable of generating true chidushim.    There is a Midrash in Bereishis Rabba which explains that source of the word “נסיון” is the word “,נס” which means banner.  Just as a ship sailing in the sea raises its flag high and proud so that one and all should be aware of that ship’s origin and destination, so too a person who has successfully withstood a trial will proudly bear the markings of a steadfast servant of Hashem.  In other words, we are all born with tremendous potential, but only in the testing of the different facets of our personality, if we stand true to God and the Torah, do we bring out that potential, and turn ourselves into the Godly beings we were always capable of becoming.  If, on the other hand, we do not succeed in our tribulations, that potential remains dormant inside us, patiently awaiting the time that it can break free and show itself.  In the same vein as the Ramban, the Mesilas Yesharim writes in the first chapter that man’s only purpose on this earth is to perform the commandments and to endure trials from Hashem so that he may pass them and become a complete individual.  This indicates that it is not enough to merely perform all the commandments of the Torah, to become a complete human being, but rather a person must also endure trials to complete his mission on this earth.

The renowned Rosh Yeshiva R’ Gedalya Sher writes that there is a verse in Shir Hashirim which reads, “We still have a small sister, who is not yet developed. What should we do with her when her day comes?”  The Midrash comments on this overtly cryptic verse that it is referring to Avraham Avinu before he had withstood his tests (the undeveloped sister), and it is teaching us that although Avraham had tremendous strengths, he would have lost all his powers  had he not stood up “when his day came.”  R’ Gedalya explains beautifully that each and every one of us is granted tremendous strengths and potential, and anyone who looks into his own heart can verify the truth of these words, but if he does not utilize them to withstand his personal trials, these strengths will unfortunately be confiscated from him.  R’ Gedalya goes on to say that he has seen the truth of this Midrash time and again in his own yeshiva, Torah V’daas.  He sees young men come in with outstanding characteristics in all areas, and the ones who prevail in their personal tests go on to really succeed, while the ones who, Heaven forefend, were not strong enough, simply dwindled away, and all their brilliance and strength seemed to just dissipate.

Passing tests is very difficult, as any one of us can testify, but I believe that there is a secret locked in the above quoted Ramban which can be very useful in making the task slightly easier.  One of the most difficult aspects of a test is that it is easy to misconstrue a test as apathy on the part of Hashem toward us and a breech in our trust of Him.  Simply put, we feel like Hashem hates us.  But based on this Ramban, the exact opposite outlook is warranted.  In fact, Hashem doesn’t even give tests to the wicked, because there is no point.  Rather, a test is a true sign of love, and a unique opportunity for growth that would not have been possible otherwise.  Furthermore, every test is tailor-made for the individual, and has customized qualities that are only applicable to me and my situation.  Is there any greater love than that?  The Chofetz Chaim, who was not exactly known as a person with a lot of extra time on his hands, once approached a young man in his yeshiva during the holiday season who was feeling despondent about his personal troubles, which weren’t too few in number.  The Chofetz Chaim gently put his arm around the boy’s shoulder and shared with him, “I know you think that I was always a Rosh Yeshiva, but that it not true.  When I was only ten years old, my father passed away, and I was forced to go all by myself to a very far off-city, in which I had no family or friends to speak of.  From that moment onward, I’ve lived in tremendous poverty, and have never known where my next meal was coming from.  Also, I have a very weak constitution, but I’ve been forced to fight the reform movement tooth and nail, which has been very difficult for me.  When it was time to date, I was forced to marry my stepsister, in order to help my mother’s domestic peace.  While all my friends received sizeable dowries and considerable gifts for their weddings, I got married with nothing but the old shirt on my back.  But I want to share with you that I was able to see clearly, as my life progressed, that each and every one of my apparent ‘failures’ was Hashem setting me up for tremendous success.  One of my friends, who received 10,000 rubles, was tempted by his grand fortune to go into business, and he lost every penny he had been given, not to mention his peace of mind and the spiritual growth he could have achieved in the time he spent in business dealings.  During this time, I was able to write every one of my halachic works, with my ‘poor’ wife, who was nothing short of a princess, standing by my side encouraging me every step of the way.  Although we may not always see it, rest assured that every test Hashem gives us is for our own greatness.”

May the God of Avraham help us to always see the beauty and wisdom in our tests and to pass them with flying colors!