“And it happened after these things that G-d tested Avraham and said to him: Avraham, and he replied: Here I am” (Bereishit 22:1)
“Hashem, your G-d, is testing you to know whether you love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul” (Devarim 13:4)
“Hashem tests the righteous, but He hates one who is wicked and loves violence” (Tehillim 11:5)
The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 32:3) relates, in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: The Creator does not test shaky urns. As soon as He would knock on one of them to test its durability, it would fall apart in His hands, so to speak. Which ones does He test? The strong, beautiful urns. Even if He were to bang on them numerous times, they would not break. Similarly, Hashem does not test the wicked, but only the tzaddikim.
Rabbi Yosi ben Chanina gives an analogy of a flax worker. When he knows he has a good product, he grinds it to a fine powder. The more he grinds it, the better it becomes. The harder he pounds it, the more oily it becomes. But when his flax is inferior, he cannot strike it even once before it snaps. In a similar vein, Hashem tests only the tzaddikim, and not the wicked.
Rabbi Elazar says it can be compared to a person who had two cows. One was strong, while the other was weak. The man placed his load on the strong cow. So does Hakadosh Baruch Hu test the tzaddikim, as the pasuk says (Tehillim 11:5), “Hashem examines the righteous one” (Bereishit Rabbah 32:3)
Avraham Avinu was tested with ten trials, and he withstood them all – to show the degree of his love for G-d (Avot 5:3).
Upon retiring for the night, one recites the prayer: “Grant me my portion in Your Torah and accustom me to do mitzvot, and do not accustom me to do aveirot. And do not bring me to sin or misdeed or challenge…” (Berachot 60b).
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 107a) quotes Rav Yehudah, in the name of Rav: A person should never bring challenges upon himself. David Hamelech asked for a trial and failed. This was what happened: David asked Hashem, “Ribbono shel Olam! Why do we say, ‘The G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov,’ and we don’t say, ‘The G-d of David’?”
Hashem replied, “They were tested by Me, whereas you were not.”
David said, “Ribbono shel Olam! Test me, too!”
Hashem said, “I won’t only test you, but I will do something for you which I did not do for the Avot. I will inform you beforehand in which area I am testing you, unlike the Avot, who were not aware of the trials that they would face. I will test you in the matter of immorality.”
Hashem tests the righteous so that his righteousness is revealed to all, and he does not remain a hidden tzaddik (Derech Chaim 4:3).
The Ramchal (Derech Hashem II, 3) writes: The Highest Wisdom divided these challenges among the human race in a manner decreed fitting and proper to fulfill its profound plan. Thus, every individual has his own challenge in the battle with his Evil Inclination. This is his assignment and responsibility in this world, and within its framework he must strive for success. His deeds are then judged by G-d’s Attribute of Justice with true precision, depending on the particular responsibility that was given to him.
