The Reward is According to the Struggle.
The Baal HaTanya's grandson, Reb Nochum, wore an expensive jacket with fur around the collar. He bought it when he got married. The Baal HaTanya didn't like the style (apparently, it wasn't the way most Jews dressed at the time), and he told his grandson that he didn’t want him to wear this jacket. His grandson answered that he couldn’t stop wearing it.
The Baal HaTanya said, "I'll buy you another jacket."
His grandson repeated that he couldn’t change the jacket.
"I will give you money," the Baal HaTanya pleaded, but still he refused. He couldn't part with his coat.
"I'll learn with you." Once again, the grandson refused.
Finally, the Baal HaTanya told him, "If you take off this coat, you will be with me in Gan Eden." This time, the grandson accepted the offer. It was too good an offer to refuse.
People asked the Baal HaTanya how he could guarantee this great reward for his grandson. Perhaps he won't deserve it!
The Baal HaTanya replied, "You saw how hard it was for him to remove the coat. It wasn't just the coat, and it wasn't just the style. A klipah, a tumah, was preventing him from agreeing to my offers. I understood that it was a great test for him. And if he passes this test, he deserves to be brought to a high place in Gan Eden for that merit alone."
We earn the greatest rewards when we overcome difficult tests.
