Is God Just? Nissayon - Test or Demonstration?

The idea of God testing someone to see if he is as pious and true as it appears outwardly, or to afford an opportunity for greater reward in the future or the world to come, is quite accepted in contemporary traditional circles. I would like to spend a few posts exploring this idea. I would like to not only analyze Rambam’s view but also try to address Ramban’s objections to it and his own view. The issue of Nissayon (test) is an important component of what are Providence and reward and punishment. It is also quite timely as the Parshyot we are currently reading deal with Avraham’s Nissyonot and tribulations.

My understanding of reward and punishment is that it is the natural consequence of a person’s actions. It is also quite clear to me that it is Rambam’s position as I have posted many times. (I know Tafkaa you disagree. Just bear with me. It took me a while to become convinced too.) It is my idea of a just God. That being the case, I would have to assume that a test means that God is going to interfere in the normal flow of events. He would have a person, whose actions would under all circumstances result in a good outcome, end up suffering just to prove that he is genuine. Prove to whom? To God? Doesn’t God know anyway? Is this justice from a just God? Sounds much like the capricious gods of Greek mythology. Rambam in MN 3:24 considers this idea as illogical. As to the idea that God sends afflictions to afford opportunity for greater reward Rambam argues:

“People have generally the notion that trials consist in afflictions and mishaps sent by God to man, not as punishments for past sins, but as giving opportunity for great reward… The principle taught in Scripture is exactly the reverse; for it is said:" He is a God of faithfulness, and there is no iniquity in him" (Deut. xxxii. 4). The teaching of our Sages, although some of them approve this general belief (concerning trials], is on the whole against it. For they say," There is no death without sin, and no affliction without transgression." Every intelligent religious person should have this faith, and should not ascribe any wrong to God, who is far from it; he must not assume that a person is innocent and perfect and does not deserve what has befallen him…”

And as to the idea that it is a demonstration of fidelity:

“We must not think that God desires to examine us and to try us in order to know what He did not know before. Far is this from Him; He is far above that which ignorant and foolish people imagine concerning Him, in the evil of their thoughts.”

Rambam understands Nissayon not as a test but rather a demonstration. It demonstrates and teaches how one should behave or think.

“The sole object of all the trials mentioned in Scripture is to teach man what he ought to do or believe; so that the event which forms the actual trial is not the end desired: it is but an example for our instruction and guidance.”

When I checked the Concordance it lists two separate roots Ness and Nissah. Ness refers to a pole, a standard (as in flag) or a sign (as in miracle). Nissah is a test. Rambam apparently sees the two words as having a much closer relationship. I am not sure whether his position is that in all Nach and even in the Torah every time the word that is a derivative of Nissah means demonstration. I have also not analyzed each one to see if that meaning can be read in each context. The word Nissah or its derivatives in the context of demonstration appears six times in the Torah and Rambam addresses those specifically. It appears three times in the context of the Mann, once by Avraham and the Akedah, once with regard to a false prophet and once at Sinai. In all four episodes that Rambam understands the word to mean demonstration rather than test.

Chazal expanded the list. They say in Avot chapter 5 that Avraham had ten Nissyonot; he demonstrated ten times how one serves God. The greatest demonstration was the Akedah. I will address that in my next post.