Israel. Just the opposite, in fact, He set very simple tests. We read in the parasha of Shemot, that Moshe tended Yitro’s sheep (Shemot 3:1):
Moshe was tending the flocks of Yitro, his father-in-law, the chief of Midian, and he led the flocks into the wilderness, and he came to the mountain of G-d, to Chorev.
On this pasuk the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 2:3) makes an interesting observation – Hashem doesn’t give greatness to a person before testing him with a small matter. If he passes the small test, then He will raise him to greatness. Hashem tested two of Israel’s great leaders in this way. He tested David with flocks of sheep, and he led them into the desert so that they wouldn’t steal from other people’s fields. Similarly, Moshe was tested with sheep, and he also took them to the desert so they wouldn’t steal.
Whereas we would set tough tests, Hashem set simple tests. Why did Hashem do this? Why didn’t he set difficult tests to examine the real potential of Moshe and David?
Rav Dessler writes[1] that you don’t learn as much about a person’s true character by setting a major test. For a major test a man will make major efforts to achieve well. He’ll push himself – perhaps so that everyone will know what he has accomplished, or perhaps so that he himself will know what he is capable of doing. Afterwards, he may settle back down into his usual mode of operation. Hashem wanted to know how Moshe and David would perform with a straightforward, mundane task. There would be no glory attached to passing the test – no heroics, no superstar status – just a quiet, modest achievement. If David and Moshe could pass the simple test, Hashem knew that they would pay attention to the basic needs of the people whenever they were needed – he wouldn’t just be selecting a leader for wars.
Likewise, in the world of nature, Hashem has programmed His creatures in such a way that the strongest, most powerful individuals aren’t necessarily the ‘kings’. Take bees, for instance. The queen bee is the bee best able to nurture her colony. She doesn’t gather nectar or build the hive like the worker bees do – but by reproducing, and regulating the hive’s behaviour, she ensures the whole colony functions well.
None of us can be kings or queens, and not all of us can be leaders, nevertheless, we can all achieve much each day by setting ourselves small tests and achieving little things – Hashem will recognise our achievements however small.
[1] Rav Dessler in Strive for Truth on the Parasha – Shemot
