WHAT IS A NESS

Many people want to experience a miracle for various challenges they are going through in their life. What we have to understand is that the word for miracle in Hebrew “Ness”, does not actually mean a miracle the way we imagine a miracle to be. Ness means to raise up.  It is connected to the world nissayon, a test.  Whenever Hashem brings a test or a challenge to a person, He is raising them to a higher spiritual level.  This is the ness, the miracle.   A person is being raised to the top, to a much greater level.

Sometimes a person goes through the same test many times and fails each time.  A person might get discouraged. What is the purpose of a test if someone fails? But we need to realize that each time we go through the test and fail, it gives us experience . Eventually the real test happens and a person will pass it: will conduct themselves with greater faith and btochon.   Whether we win or lose a test is in the hands of Hashem. It is how a person handles the test: what their attitude is, how they grow in their relationship with Hashem etc. that is important.     A person fails a test if they react negatively (ie. become angry at Hashem, go down in their level of observance of Torah etc.). If a person keeps a positive, humble attitude, grows in emuna (faith) and the person remains strong in their belief, then the person passes the test whether or not it all works out the way a person imagines it should. Failing the outward manifestation of a test does not mean a person has failed. It is the internal struggles we go through that determines if we really win or lose.

Nevertheless, we do pray that every person should merit a miracle (above and beyond nature) for whatever is needed in their personal life.  As we get closer to the coming of Moshiach, miracles do increase.