Even as the forces of darkness work tirelessly to get us to fail, the forces of light are fervently praying for our souls to overcome the many challenges and reach our highest potential.
"All the challenges with which a person is presented are intended to bring him to a more elevated state." —Rabbi Sholom Dovber of Lubavitch
Jerry Sinclair, a very successful man in his 60s, began his life story in the Bronx, where both his parents worked full-time jobs just to make ends meet. When he turned 27, Jerry started a business that grew exponentially. Thus, at age 45, he was able to sell his company at a great profit and spend his time doing what he enjoyed most—researching cures for terminal illnesses and investing in businesses that had meaning and value.
Jerry was very proud of his son Michael, a 19-year-old college sophomore. Michael was a child with impeccable character. He had a natural desire to do what is right. Michael was kind to the poor and volunteered each Tuesday evening to cook at the local homeless shelter. Also, whenever Michael had the opportunity, he would get his dad to garnish support among his buddies to sponsor one charitable cause or another.
Having grown up through the rough and the thick, Jerry was always concerned that one day his son would be lured into a moral dilemma, and because of his lack of experience, Michael might not have what it takes to withstand the pressure. And who is to say that Jerry would still be around to help him make the right choice?
After giving much thought to his concerns, Jerry came up with a plan. He would do the unthinkable—set up a morally challenging test for Michael. Jerry hoped that because of his son's superior character traits, and because Jerry was still in this physical world to help and encourage his son to do what is right, Michael would rise to the occasion and pass this difficult test with flying colors and be stronger for it.
Michael's mom was not fond of the idea, but after hearing Jerry out, she agreed to go along with the plan.
Michael had a teacher named Lisa Rembrandt, whom he really liked. She was a married mother of two who was not just a professor in social science, but the type of teacher who all the students looked up to for leadership.
Jerry approached Lisa and expressed his concern about Michael and his future. He told her about his plan and asked if she would help him set up a real-life "moral dilemma" to confront Michael.
Poor Michael was about to experience a situation that would rock his life and leave him with sleepless nights. But if, as his father hoped, Michael were to overcome this difficult challenge, then he would transform from a boy to a man.
Lisa saw this as a great opportunity for Michael and a worthwhile "social studies" project. So with the blessings of his parents, Lisa became the "culprit" of Michael's dilemma. She began to actively entice him in many different ways.
At first, Michael was overcome with shock at her advances. Soon, he became very confused and perplexed. How can it be that Lisa—such an upstanding person—would seek to lure him down such a dark path?
What Michael did not know is that while Lisa was actively doing everything she could to get him to fall, she was praying, with all her might, that he would not be lured into this trap. Indeed, when Michael succeeded, as Jerry hoped would certainly be the case, Jerry planned to make a big party for Michael where he would reveal their "secret plot."
The above scenario is a modern-day adaption from an ancient parable in the Zohar, the fundamental works of the Kabbalah. It is a description of our souls' journey here on earth. The "challenges" we face are so that we may graduate to a higher level for a deeper connection. And even as the forces of darkness work tirelessly to get us to fall, the forces of light are fervently praying for our souls to overcome the many challenges and reach our highest potential.
When the soul fulfills this mission, day by day, all the transient pain and suffering connected with the soul's descent and life on this earth are outweighed by the great everlasting bliss that the soul enjoys in the success of the journey.