“If there will arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of a dream, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder of which he spoke to you happens, [and he] says, “Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us worship them,” you shall not heed the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of a dream; for the Lord, your G-d, is testing you, to know whether you really love the Lord, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the Lord, your G-d, fear Him, keep His commandments, heed His voice, worship Him, and cleave to Him.” (Devorim 13:2-5).
(From “Chofetz Chaim on the Torah”)
This is an incredible scene. Let’s go back the time when there were prophets in Klal Yisroel. These prophets were exceptionally holy people who went around giving mussar to the masses. They were renowned darshanim. Suddenly, one of them started preaching that all the Jews should worship idols. What’s happening? He has a superlative reputation as a very holy man. He’s one of the gedolei hador. Everyone respects him and hangs on to every word he says. He announces that G-d spoke to him, and that G-d has commanded the entire Jewish nation to start this new practice – there has to be a change in our religion.
Klal Yisroel is now in a quandary. What do we do? He’s one of the gadolei hador. But we’ve never heard him speak like this before. This is heresy. But he’s always been right. Then he starts performing miracles to support his new sermon. He makes predictions and they come true. Wonders of wonders. How can this guy be wrong?
The pasuki states explicitly, don’t listen to him. He’s a false prophet, a navi sheker. Our job is to remain faithful to Judaism – pure, unadulterated Yiddishkeit.
The question here is obvious. The pasuk seems to be telling us that he’s really having a prophecy. Heaven is revealing to him that everyone should abandon their faith. He’s proving it by performing miracles. Why is Hashem letting him get away with this? Why is Hashem giving him the power to be a miracle worker and convince people to become heretics?
Rashi explains, “for the Lord, your G-d, is testing you [... whether you really love the Lord your G-d]".
There will come a time when Hakodosh Boruch Hu wants to test Klal Yisroel. He wants to see if we are really totally devoted to Hashem and the Torah. Apikorsim and other rebels will suddenly obtain the power to perform wondrous and momentous miracles. They will enjoy exceptional success in their worldly and material goals.
When will this nisayon occur? We are witnessing it right now. We know from the Tanach that before the Moshiach comes, Hashem will put Klal Yisroel through extraordinary ordeals. “And I will refine them as one refines silver, and I will test them as one tests gold” (Zechariah 13:9). Before Moshiach comes Klal Yisroel will be assessed to see what kind of Jews we are. He will measure us to see if we will remain truly faithful to Hashem and His Torah. This is obvious from the end of the pasuk, “He (the faithful Jew) shall call in My name, and I will respond to him. I said, ‘He is My people’; and he shall say, "The Lord is my G-d.”
What will be the nature of this ordeal? Hashem will take those Jews who have abandoned Yiddishkeit and elevate them to high-ranking positions. They will have uncanny success. It will be very discouraging for the Torah observant Jews. Seeing these fellows so successful and powerful will be a very difficult scene to ignore. They will be very convincing and influential. Many of the masses will be swayed to their way of thinking.
We must remember that this is really to test us if we will maintain our faith and serve Hashem with a full heart, in spite of the extraordinary success of our enemies and ridiculers. If we maintain our faith, Hashem will love us and save us from our enemies, while regarding the evildoers He will carry out the pasuk, “and destroy the evil from within you.”
The last Navi Malachi said, “Then the G-d-fearing men spoke to one another... Those who perform wickedness succeed, Yea, those who work wickedness are built up. Yea, they tempt G-d, and they have, nevertheless, escaped” (3:16). At that time of such religious turmoil those who fear G-d and value His Name will gather together to speak among themselves and encourage each other that what they are witnessing is merely a test. They shouldn’t complain about the achievements of the reshoim. If only we stand firm, then He will save us and the geula will come very soon.
These prophecies are especially relevant today when we see the success of the reshoim in their schemes to destroy the entire world. In spite of everything, we cannot give up or let our spirits fall within us. Hashem is testing us if we will remain true to the covenant and if we will love him with all our heart.
