Life is a Test, the latest book from Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, opens with a quotation:
“All that befalls us in this world, the good as well as the bad, are tests.” It is with this sentence that the legendary Jungreis propels the reader into a life-transforming journey of self-discovery and personal growth.
In her most riveting book yet, Jungreis tackles the “whys” that plague our lives, both on a personal and on a global level. Life is a Test (Shaar Press/ArtScroll 2006 ) is more than a page-turner — it is a blueprint for achieving our individual unique potential amidst the trials and tribulations that shake our lives.
Life Is A Test is divided into three distinct sections: the first gently asserts that we are tested because we don’t know our own selves and our special potential. It’s so easy to lose our way, says Jungreis, allowing the gifts with which God endowed us to lie dormant, or worse, misused.
The second section of the book addresses different tests of relationships, while the third section, a true eye-opener, is aptly entitled “When Tests Are Wake-Up Calls.”
In this last section Jungreis sounds the alarm. This section is nothing short of fascinating, encouraging us, a challenged generation, by relating prophecies connected to current events, such as the Iranian threat.
Jungreis writes with the same palpable love of Torah, Israel and the Jewish people that she emits to crowds of well over 1,000 at her Manhattan lectures. The tone of the book remains comforting and reassuring throughout. In fact, it’s hard not to feel as though eavesdropping on her private consultations and conversations with Jews of all persuasions facing a one crisis or another.
In each situation presented, Jungreis underscores the folly of living a life that is centered on the physical and the temporal, at the expense of our souls, which are eternal.
In this topsy-turvy world where things seldom turn out as we plan, Jungreis’ book is laden with practical advice for a variety of situations. Tests come in many shapes and forms and through the anecdotes scattered throughout the book, we come to see how the world-renowned Rebbetzin applies Torah wisdom to help people pass the tests of their lives.
The particular situations explored in the book vary from a fall from fortune (“the easiest of all tests,” as the author puts it,) illness or a family death, to the prospect of divorce, issues involving infidelity and resentment, to even that of rearing a difficult child, and even reversing a child’s impending intermarriage. She also offers singles a guide to dating effectively, replete with specific questions to ask on dates.
Jungreis attempts to tackle many different life challenges, but her problem-solving techniques are limited. Life Is A Test is a jump-starter, but readers will likely need to follow-up with other sources to solve more complex problems. One good source is Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski’s collection of Jewish self-help books. The difference is that Twerski dedicates an entire book to overcoming a single problem, such as self-defeating behavior, depression or addictions. Jungreis illustrates solutions in more broad strokes.
Jungreis, a Holocaust survivor who is no stranger to suffering, writes about the miracles of her own life and “God’s many wondrous ways” that helped shape her to become the founder of the international outreach organization Hineni, with centers in New York and Jerusalem. An international lecturer who regularly speaks on behalf of the Israel Defense Forces, not to mention the U.S. Army and Navy, her life mission has been to combat what she terms a “spiritual holocaust” and bring fellow Jews closer to their faith.
Anecdotes from her days at Bergen-Belsen and her early days in America are sprinkled throughout the book as a source of inspiration. Her message is that our highs, as well as our lows, are all a part of the journey that our Creator has mapped out for us.