Parshas Beshalach

Keeping Temptation at Bay

“And Hashem did not lead them through the land of Pelishtim as it is close.” (Shemos 13:17)

“Meaning although it is close.” (Ramban)

“For Hashem said: ‘Lest the nation regret [their actions] when they see battle and return to Egypt.’ It was preferable for the nation to wander the vast desert than confront this danger by traveling via the Pelishtim’s land.

It is an established rule that man must flee from nisyonos. One may not test himself to subdue his evil inclination. David HaMelech brought himself to a place of nisayon and failed and therefore we daven in the morning brachos: ‘Do not bring us to nisyonos’ (Sichos Mussar Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz). 

Nisyonos are our admission ticket to This World. They’re strewn all along the road for 120 years. And everyone carries his private package of nisyonos. No exceptions.

“My nisayon’s really difficult” people say “and nobody knows how hard it really is.” That’s true but they also have no idea how many others think the same. These people deal with their nisyonos and accumulate millions of points on their membership cards. This is the essence of their spiritual life.

And nevertheless “Hashem did not lead them through the landof Pelishtim as it is close.”

“A person who brings himself to a nisayon is approaching his yetzer and this is not the way of G-d” (ibid.).

Isn’t the path of nisyonos the way of G-d? Didn’t Hashem test the Avos?

“Hashem did indeed test the Avos but there’s a difference between Hashem testing a person and a person bringing nisyonos upon himself. When a person is tested Hashem grants him the power to withstand the nisayon. However when one seeks out nisyonos he’s on his own.” (ibid.) 

A certain phone number is a nisayon not to speak lashon hara.

A certain store is a nisayon not to buy what I don’t need.

A certain request leads to a nisayon in shalom bayis.

A certain technological device leads to a host of nisyonos.

“We may understand this matter on a deeper level by exploring the words of Chazal: ‘A person doesn’t sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him.’ Chazal are expressing their surprise: How could man the crown of all creation commit a wrongdoing?

Indeed that would be impossible. However a person doesn’t sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him — meaning that man has no responsibility for his actions for he’s been overcome by a foolish spirit. This is comparable to someone standing on the edge of a pit when a powerful gust of wind suddenly blows him in. Is he at fault? Why should he be punished?” (ibid.) 

“That nisayon was just too hard” we say. The other party was so unjust it was so late we were so disappointed our friend was so persuasive … how could we not fall?

“Of course he’s at fault! Why did he approach the edge of the pit? He should have stayed far away. Even if all the winds of the world blow in his direction one standing at a safe distance won’t fall in. A spirit of foolishness only enters one who stands on the brink of the abyss. Therefore man’s primary task is to stay far away from dangerous places and then he will be saved.” (ibid.) 

Who asked us to peer curiously into the pit to gauge its depth and — confident that we’ll withstand the test — push the boundaries of our coping skills to step forward even just for a moment to test ourselves?

A nisayon is a G-d-given gift custom made for the soul’s inner dimensions. The mountain is only as high as we can climb not one stone higher.

But why add extra rocks? Why travel journeys we’re not equipped for and traverse dangerous paths we don’t need to take?

Let’s put a safe distance between ourselves and hard times hard places and people who always get us into trouble. Far from anything that places us on the brink of the pit. Then though all the winds of the world may howl around us we will not fall.