From: Moses Maimonides
The Guide of the Perplexed, Vol. Two
Translated by Shlomo Pines
University of Chicago Press, 1963
Book III, Chap. 24

The subject of trial is also very difficult; it is one of the greatest difficulties of the Law. The Torah mentions it in six passages, as I shall make clear to you in this chapter. What is generally accepted among people regarding the subject of trial is this: God sends down calamities upon an individual, without their having been preceded by a sin, in order that his reward be increased. However this principle is not at all mentioned in the Torah in an explicit text. And there is in the Torah only one passage among the six whose external meaning suggests such a notion; I shall explain its meaning. The principle of the Law that runs counter to this opinion, is that contained in His dictum, may He be exalted: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity1 . Nor do all the Sages profess this opinion of the multitude, for they say sometimes: There is no death without sin and no sufferings without transgression.2  And this is the opinion that ought to be believed by every adherent of the Law who is endowed with intellect, for he should not ascribe injustice to God, may He be exalted above this, so that he believes that Zayd is innocent of sin and is perfect and that he does not deserve what befell him. However, the external meaning of the trials mentioned in the Torah in the passages in question is that they took place in order to test and to receive information so that one could know the degree of faith or the degree of obedience of the individual or nation in question. And this is the great difficulty, especially in the story of the binding, 3  which was known only to God and to the two individuals involved, to one of whom4  it was said: For now I know that thou fearest God5 . it is the same with regard to its dictum: For the Lord your God tries you out, to know whether ye do love the Lord, and so on.6  And also with regard to its dictum: To know what was in thy heart, and so on.7  Now I will resolve all these difficulties for you.

Know that the aim and meaning of all the trials mentioned in the Torah is to let people know what they ought to do or what they must believe. Accordingly the notion of a trial consists as it were in a certain act being done, the purpose being not the accomplishment of that particular act, but the latter's being a model to be imitated and followed. Thus the interpretation of its dictum -To know whether ye do love8  – is not: in order that God should know that, for He already knew it; but the meaning resembles that of its dictum – To know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you9  – the meaning of which is: in order that the religious communities should know. In the same manner [Scripture] says:10  If a man claiming prophecy arise and if you see his suggestions tend to make one believe in the truth of his claim, know that God wished to make known hereby to the religious communities the extent of your certitude with regard to His Law, may He be exalted, and your apprehension of its11  true reality; and also to make known that you do not let yourselves be deceived by the deceptions of a deceiver and that your faith in God cannot be disturbed. This will be a support for everyone who seeks the truth, for he will seek out the beliefs that are so firm that when one has them one pays no attention to the man who tries to compete through working a miracle. For this man issues a call to believe in impossible things, whereas a competition as to miracles is only useful12 when something possible is claimed, as we have made clear in Mishneh Torah. 13 

After it has been made clear that the meaning of to know here is: in order that people should know, the same can be said with regard to its dictum concerning manna: That He might afflict thee, to try thee out, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no.14  The meaning of this is: in order that the religious communities should know this and that it should be generally accepted throughout the world that those who wholly devote themselves to His service, may He be exalted, are provided by Him with food in an unthought-of way. The same notion is expressed when manna is spoken of on the occasion when it first came down: That I may try them out, whether they will walk in My Torah, or no;15  which means: in order that everyone should consider this and should see whether being devoted to His service is useful and sufficient or not sufficient. As for what is said [in Scripture] for the third time again concerning manna – namely, Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might afflict thee, and that He might try thee out [nasotekha], to do thee good at thy latter end16  – it may suggest that God sometimes makes an individual suffer in order that his reward be greater. But this is not the truth of the matter. For this dictum has one of two meanings: One of them is the notion concerning manna repeatedly expressed in the first and second dictum, namely: in order that it should be known [by the community] whether being devoted to God does or does not suffice as far as food is concerned and gives relief from fatigue and weariness. Or nasotekha [try thee out] may mean: to accustom thee, this being an interpretation that can refer to its dictum: is not accustomed [nisstah] to set the sole of her foot and so on.17  It is as if it said that He, may He be exalted, has first accustomed you to misery in the desert in order to make your well-being greater when once you came into the land.18  And this is true, for to pass from weariness to rest is more pleasant than to be constantly at rest. And it is known that but for their misery and weariness in the desert, they would not have been able to conquer the land and to fight. The Torah literally states this: For God said: Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt. But God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea.19  For prosperity does away with courage, whereas a hard life and fatigue necessarily produce courage this being the good that, according to the story in question, will come at their latter end.20  ...

As for the story of Abraham at the binding,21  it contains two great notions that are fundamental principles of the Law. One of these notions consists in our being informed of the limit of love for God, may He be exalted, and fear of Him – that is, up to what limit they must reach. For in this story he was ordered to do something that bears no comparison either with sacrifice of property or with sacrifice of life. In truth it is the most extraordinary thing that could happen in the world, such a thing that one would not imagine that human nature was capable of it. Here there is a sterile man having an exceeding desire for a son, possessed of great property and commanding respect, and having the wish that his progeny should become a religious community. When a son comes to him after his having lost hope, how great will be his attachment to him and love for him! However, because of his fear of Him, who should be exalted, and because of his love to carry out His command, he holds this beloved son as little, gives up all his hopes regarding him, and hastens to slaughter him after a journey of days. For if he had chosen to do this immediately, as soon as the order came to him, it would have been an act of stupefaction and disturbance in the absence of exhaustive reflection. But his doing it days after the command had come to him shows that the act sprang from thought, correct understanding, consideration of the truth of His command may He be exalted, love of Him, and fear of Him. No other circumstance should be put forward, nor should one opt for the notion that he was in a state of passion. For Abraham our Father did not hasten to slaughter Isaac because he was afraid that God would kill him or make him poor, but solely because of what is incumbent upon the Adamites - namely, to love Him and fear Him, may He be exalted -and not, as we have explained in several passages, for any hope of a reward or for fear of punishment. Accordingly the angel said to him: For now I know that thou fearest God:22  meaning that through the act because of which the term fearing God is applied to you, all the Adamites will know what the limits of the fear of the Lord are. Know that this notion is corroborated and explained in the Torah, in which it is mentioned that the final end of the whole of the Torah, including its commandments, prohibitions, promises, and narratives, is one thing only – namely, fear of Him, may He be exalted. This is referred to in its dictum: If thou wilt not take care to observe all the words of this Law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear his glorious and awful Name, and so on.23  This is one of the two notions aimed at in the binding.24 

The second notion consists in making known to us the fact that the prophets consider as true that which comes to them from God in a prophetic revelation. For it should not be thought that what they hear or what appears to them in a parable is not certain or is commingled with illusion just because it comes about in a dream and in a vision as we have made clear, and through the intermediary of the imaginative faculty. Accordingly [Scripture] wished to make it known to us that all that is seen by a prophet in a vision of prophecy is, in the opinion of the prophet a certain truth, that the prophet has no doubts in any way concerning anything in it, and that in his opinion its status is the same as that of all existent things that are apprehended through the senses or through the intellect. A proof for this is the fact that [Abraham] hastened to slaughter, as he had been commanded, his son, his only son, whom he loved, 25  even though this command came to him in a dream or in a vision For if a dream of prophecy had been obscure for the prophets, or if they had doubts or incertitude concerning what they apprehended in a vision of prophecy, they would not have hastened to do that which is repugnant to nature and [Abraham's] soul would not have consented to accomplish an act of so great an importance if there had been a doubt about it.

In truth it was fitting that this story, I mean the binding, should come to pass through the hand of Abraham and in regard to someone like Isaac. For Abraham our Father was the first to make known the belief in Unity, to establish prophecy, and to perpetuate this opinion and draw people to it. It says: For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and judgment.26  Thus just as they followed his correct and useful opinions, namely, those that were heard from him, so ought one to follow the opinions deriving from his actions and especially from this action through which lie validated the fundamental principle affirming the truth of prophecy and made known to us the ultimate end toward which the fear and love of God may reach.

It is in this way that the meaning of trials should be understood. And it should not be believed that God, may He be exalted, wants to test and try out a thing in order to know that which He did not know before. How greatly is He exalted above that which is imagined by ignorant fools in their evil thoughts! Know this.