We were asked whether we were being “tested for a reason” as a homework assignment for tomorrows’ class. The operant words are “tested and “for a reason.”  Testing is easy.  Every day we are being tested in running gauntlets in travel and dealing with other people.  We all either were born with a status or earned one and we are besieged by others, testing if we really deserve that status.  Tested for a reason is different and that depends on many other things.

Now, there are those who subscribe to a supernatural structure of the universe and we are thought of and see ourselves as puppets being pulled this way and that and are tested to see if we truly love the puppeteer.  The Torah is filled with this kind of sentiment – that we must truly love God and God will bring us good things or make good things happen for us.  At the same time, this scenario contains bad things happening to many, many others.  In other words, God is testing us to see if we match up to his (or her or its) expectations.

There is this thing called a covenant or bond between two parties.  One is us – and me of course, and the other is that supernatural being who controls us – and that being likes to test us – scripture attests to this.  Despite my belief in free will there is a niggling suspicion that my whole life is a test, the content and design of which are unknown to me.  So, I go my own way and make my own mistakes and hope that I do no harm. The assignment given by our class’s teacher is to get us thinking about testing and is a test in itself.  I wonder how many of us actually believe life is itself a reason and the test just follows. And then, there are tests – such as I gave all the years of my teaching.  Some teach to the test demanding only one correct answer. Others are less interested in “requirements” and look for innovation and interesting alternative answers.

There are many reasons for testing and being tested. I like the one where you test your own intelligence and expand your knowledge.