Descent for the purpose of ascent: in Hebrew this is known as Yerida l'tzorich aliyah
Descent can be understood in two ways: [1] the descent of the neshama into the body, and [2] the descent in the life of a person through circumstances.
No Pain No Gain
No Pain No Gain
נס - Nes - Miracle
ניסיון - Nisayon - Trial
"All the affairs of the world, whether for the good or for the bad, are trials [nisyonos] for a man"… [Mesillat Yesharim* (Path of the Just) Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto]
When a person is destined to reach a level which is much higher than his present rung, it is necessary for him to undergo a descent first. [The Lubavitcher Rebbe]
Before a person experiences a miracle - נס - , he is given a trial - ניסיון. There is no ascent (aliyah) without a prior descent (yeridah). The lower the descent, the higher the potential ascent.
G-d tries the righteous, for knowing that the righteous will do His will, He desires to make them even more upright, and so He commands them to undertake a test, but He does not try the wicked, who would not obey.
Thus all trials in the Torah are for the good of the one being tried. [Nachmanidies, Commentary on the Torah; Genesis, p. 275; Chavel translation; ]
From here, we learn a number of important points. First, the purpose of a nisayon is not to reveal anything new to G-d, but to increase the spiritual reward of the person by bringing forth his or her latent greatness into actual deeds of righteousness.
Second, a person is only sent a nisayon that he or she has the potential to "pass," provided the person uses his free will properly.
Third (and this is implicit in the first point), the nisayon is intended for the good of the person—to elevate the person spiritually.
Nes can also be translated as "banner": The test is meant to "lift a banner" and reveal to the world, and to the person himself, the potential hidden within a human being.
*Learn Mesillat Yesharim at Sefaria
*Learn Mesillat Yesharim at Sefaria
3 comments:
Frankly, whenever I see the expression "no pain no gain" its like you're waving a red flag at a bull, or like calling certain segments of society by the "N" word.
That expression turns me justifiedly livid, as my experience is the EXACT opposite.
See this video which points out the fallacy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yb_GF5axvU
Should I apologize for using that phrase or should I apologize for that fact that it happens to be true when it comes to fixing yourself?
First you go through the suffering, and then you experience an aliyah, you have survived and you are now on a different level. You understand more and you begin to change.
The video you linked to is about physical exercise, and here we are talking about spiritual/emotional "exercise".
Devorah, sorry I forgot to click back here for awhile, because I was extremely busy. FYI, I recently had finger surgery resulting in adverse effects requiring OT, and thats besides TMJ injury caused in 2022 by endodontist requiring PT. And lots more.
In response to yours, the spiritual/physical are very much intertwined. And btw, doesn't it even say אם אין קמח אין תורה? Kemach=physical. By the same token, people read lots of inspiring Holocaust books as have I, but what they do NOT publish in OJ circles are the many more stories of those who got turned off spiritually due to the harshness of their =physical= suffering. Thus it's not the whole truth.
So in actuality, the video I linked to is a perfect analogy for the spiritual aspect. Here's why. The guest-expert was explaining that people do NOT have to go through pain in order to achieve muscle build-up. As long as the build-up is gradual and slower, rather than harsh.
Likewise, those of us who have experienced a Holocaust during the 1930s and 1940s, or other types of severe suffering that's comparative to a Holocaust (and don't kid yourself, that DOES exist) are at risk of becoming broken BOTH in body AND soul. And the latter has very much to do with the former. Even marriages break up when spouses become disabled. So why can't the same happen to a marriage between mankind and his/her Creator?
ONLY if the suffering is of the more gradual, tolerable sort (i.e. just enough so that the person learns a lesson BUT NO MORE THAN THAT) it's only in such a scenario that some of us can experience aliyah, because we're not broken.
Everyone is endowed with different tolerance levels until they become broken. So until you've truly been where the other person has been you can't judge. Yes, i'm aware there's a source which states that various personalities of the past will be pointed out as having been faced with the same נסיונות as later generations. But FWIW I never accepted that, because did they have the exact same genetics, environment and mazal as those of us in later generations? Of course, people are always barred from pointing out such brass tacks to whoever is lecturing on such matters. And if you read about it somewhere, the author is usually unreachable, or doesn't respond, or whatever.
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