Bigger Than the Nisayon | Rabbi Zev Smith

Did you ever play a game that before you started, you won? That would be unfair. But there is one game that I tell you before you start, you won. And that's the very important game that's called: Life. The Gemara says in Masechta Yuma, When a person comes to that moment that he lives his life for, when he gives a דין וחשבון, people will have excuses. Ribono shel Olam, I couldn't learn Torah, I was too poor. The Ribono shel Olam says: Were you poorer than Hillel? Hillel lived in abject poverty, unfathomable poverty, and look how he succeeded. Hillel is מחייב the poor people. A person says: I was too rich, I was too busy. But R’ Elazar ben Charsom, a great Tanna, was much wealthier than you were, and look how he learned Torah. R’ Elazar ben Charsom is מחייב the עשירים. But the question is obvious. I'm not a Hillel, I’m not R’ Elazar ben Charsom. How could I be held accountable to do what I can't do? I don't have the greatness of a Hillel or R’ Elazar ben Charsom. But the answer to that is one of the most important, if not the most important Yesod of Hashkafah. Nobody is ever, ever given a challenge that they can't succeed. It would be terribly unfair if the Ribono shel Olam put a person in a situation that he’s doomed to failure. I once collected a number of sources that state this concept clearly. And that's what the Gaon says, in his eyes, is the greatest נפלאות הבורא, is the greatest wonder of the creation. How the Ribono shel Olam makes every single person's Nisayon. Every single person is different, he has his מעלות and חסרונות, but every person is given a Nisayon that he's always a little bigger than the Nisayon. That's what the Gemara is teaching us. We don't have the Nisyonos of Hillel, and we don't have the expectations of Hillel. We have Nisyonos that are custom-made for us. We look at a Nisayon and we have to say: This is intimidating, this is frightening, this is scary, because you're so big. But you say, with Emunah in Hashem and Emunah in yourself, I am bigger than the Nisayon. I was given a guarantee that I could succeed if I really try. There's a little sticker that comes in every appliance: Inspected. That means it was tested and it works. Every day we say: שעשה לי כל צרכי, the Ribono shel Olam gave me enough wherewithal, enough Kochos to win this Nisayon. And that's what the Gemara is teaching us. They are מחייב us, or they are מחיה us: You could do it. I once heard a story of this avid football fan. He wasn't just a fan, he lived the game. And his team made it to the Super Bowl. And of course, he bought a ticket, he had to watch it, and he started getting palpitations. The anxiety, he was too nervous about his team losing, and he had a massive heart attack and he had to be taken to the hospital. And he watched the game weeks later. He says: It's a good thing I had a heart attack. If I would have to watch that my team, they were losing terribly. It was the greatest comeback in history. Somehow they won in the end of the game. It was ממש an unprecedented victory. If I were to watch the game, I wouldn't have survived. But when I watched it, I enjoyed every moment, because I knew my team won. That's the game of life. Before we start, we know we could win. We have to just believe in ourselves and believe in HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and sit back and enjoy the victory.