I believe G-d is counting on me to make good choices, urging me to do good in the world. I also believe that G-d knows that I have the moral strength to do the right thing
Sure, G-d presents me with moral struggles, but He doesn’t set me – or you - up for failure.
Yet, G-d once presented us with a test which He knew we would fail. And, strange as it may sound, it was actually done out of Divine love. When the Jews were liberated from Egypt, and then gathered at Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah, they were in an elevated frame of mind. Having actualized their long-dormant Jewish connection, they were prepared for the most incredible event in all of history.
Standing at the foot of that mountain, they saw the physical world’s Divine purpose with unparalleled clarity, and they enthusiastically embraced their Divine calling.
But then something bizarre happened: A mere forty days after their intimate, face-to-face with G-d, the Jews collaborated to fashion a Golden Calf, saying “This is your god, O Israel…who brought you up from Egypt.”
Sounds like insane spiritual whiplash. What happened? After such an interface with the Divine, how could they have transferred their loyalty to an idol?
It’s an age-old question, even found in the Talmud. Our Rabbis validate the question by assuring that – indeed – the Jews were way better than this tragic offense. So what happened? G-d set them up.
Yes. G-d presented them with the “perfect storm,” a toxic collusion of fear, confusion and strongly alluring self-interest. So that they would make the wrong choice.
Why? Because they needed to taste failure.
The Jews, fresh off the spiritually uplifting Sinai experience, needed to cap things off with a powerful lesson. They needed to experience the cosmic value of turning failure into personal spiritual growth.
Because Torah is about real life. And human life is – depending on your perspective – either littered with mistakes, or sprinkled with growth opportunities.
Let’s choose growth.