“Who Leads Us into Temptation: God or the Devil?”

Not so long ago, a sensation spread through the news feeds: Pope Francis had changed the text of the Lord’s Prayer. He proposed replacing the words “lead us not into temptation” with the softer “do not let us fall into temptation.” It might seem a small edit — just a couple of words. But it is not about the words; it is about the meaning. The Pope essentially accused the old wording of portraying God as some kind of tempter — as if the Creator lured man into the trap of sin and then, arms folded, watched him fall.

Francis explained his position simply: God is a Father, and a father does not push his children into trouble or set them up for a blow. According to him, it is not God who tempts man but the devil. God’s task, he said, is to catch, to support, to help one get back up. All well and good — except for one problem: from the Torah’s point of view, from the Jewish, biblical, ancient point of view, one cannot think this way.

The point is that the Torah recognizes no independent forces. There is no autonomous devil with horns and a tail acting behind God’s back or against Him, and there cannot be. Everything in this world — every moment, every stirring of the soul, every thought — is the result of the Divine plan. The Torah has the concept of the yetzer hara, the “evil inclination,” but it is not an external force; it is a product of the person himself, his inner world, his thoughts, his passions and fears. It is born within us: it is not an evil spirit whispering, but our own traits, upbringing, pain and experience that push us toward one choice or another.

And there is also the Satan. But he too is not at all the satan of Christian paintings, with red skin and a pitchfork. The Satan is a kind of personification of the force of destruction, of the mechanism of testing. He is like a windy element: God permits it so that a person walking against the wind can grow, strengthen his spirit, sharpen his freedom of choice. The Satan is not God’s enemy. He is His servant. Part of the plan.

And here we arrive at the most important point. The Pope says: God does not lead us into temptation. And the Torah says: He does. Yes, He does — but not so that we fall. So that we rise. So that we grow. So that we become ourselves.

It is important to understand that the word “temptation” (nisayon) is misunderstood by most people. It carries not the shade of “luring” into sin but rather the meaning of “test,” “challenge.” Not a trap, but an opportunity. Like training for an athlete: it is hard, it hurts, you want to quit — but that is the only way muscles grow. Without tests there is no growth. No maturity. No freedom.

And God, as a true Father, gives a person such challenges. Precisely because He loves. And in these tests He does not leave us alone with our troubles — He gives strength. But only if we ourselves want to fight. Want to choose what is right. Take a step — and then help will come. The strength to stand firm is given not in advance, but in response to our choice.

That is why the prayer “lead us not into temptation” is not about never being tested. It is a request that the test not be beyond our strength. That we not be given a burden that will break us, but one that, teeth clenched, can be borne. Because a true test is not a trap but a banner. The word “nisayon” is related to “nes” — “banner.” A test raises a person up, makes him taller, firmer, stronger. And when we pass it, we rise. Ourselves. Not as helpless puppets in the hands of evil and good forces, but as beings who can choose and overcome.

God does not watch our falls with indifference. He watches us grow. And He gives us tests not out of indifference but out of love. Like a coach who sets his student difficult tasks because he knows: you can do more. And when we pray, we acknowledge that our strength does not come from ourselves — He gives it. We acknowledge that without Him we will not hold out. And in this very way we draw closer to Him.

So the question is not whether God leads us into temptation or not. The question is what stands behind the temptation — a fall or growth? The answer is growth. Tests are a ladder upward. The only question is whether you have the strength to take the step.

And when you have climbed, don’t forget to look back — and thank the One who gave you that ladder.