Why God Tests Us: Understanding Suffering, Prayer, and Divine Compassion

Liora asks: "Does God want us to suffer? Why does He test people? I feel like when I pray for something specific to happen, God hears me but doesn’t answer. What does He gain from our suffering?"

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Hello Liora,

God gains nothing from any person. After all, He created the entirety of reality, and there’s nothing we can give Him that doesn’t already come from Him.

As our Sages taught: “Give Him from what is His, for you and yours are His.” God only commands a person to place a mezuzah after He has given them a home. He only commands a person to circumcise his son after He has given him a child. He only commands a person to put on tefillin after giving him an arm. He only commands a person to guard the purity of their eyes after giving them eyes. In every single mitzvah, God first gives a gift of infinitely greater value than what He asks in return.

With God, there is no such thing as cruelty or malice, because everything He does is solely for your sake and your benefit. God loves you with an unconditional love. He also has more compassion for you than any human possibly could, because He created the very concept of mercy itself. Without Him, you wouldn’t be able to feel compassion toward anyone, not even yourself.

Animals, for example, don’t feel compassion in the human sense. A cat will not be emotionally moved when seeing another cat run over in the road. Sadly, there are also people who lack mercy. Mercy is a spiritual quality that comes from Him, and since He is the source of all compassion, every ounce of compassion you feel for yourself or others, comes from Him. God knows exactly how you feel, He has compassion for you, and He desires your ultimate good.

Sometimes God doesn’t grant what we ask because the thing we want could harm us at this moment, or because our suffering serves as an atonement for wrongs committed, in this life or in previous lifetimes. In such cases, we are required to keep praying, to break through the decree and open the gates of Heaven, without losing hope.

The situation you describe is indeed a very difficult test, but know this: God only gives tests to those who are strong enough to endure them and to emerge with even greater inner strength. By continuing to trust in Him and to pray, you increase your reward in the World to Come and also gain Divine protection and salvation in ways you may not even be aware of in this life.