R' Elimelech Biderman told over a story of a chossid who entered to see the rebbe. The chossid began to tell the rebbe that, he has a big problem with anger. He always gets angry and loses control of himself. The rebbe asked the chossid to leave for a minute and to let the man waiting in line behind him to come in first. The chossid left the rebbe's room and the next man in line went in to see the rebbe. The rebbe left open a window in the room so the first chossid, who he sent away, could hear the conversation he was having with the man that entered. The rebbe told the man that when he leaves the room he will see a chossid waiting. He told the man that he wants to test this chossid, and when he leaves the room and sees the chossid he should try to get him angry. The man left the room and complying with the rebbe's instructions, began his campaign to anger the chossid. He took a glass of steaming hot tea and "accidentally" bumped into the chossid and spilled the tea all of the chossid's brand new suit. He began to apologize to the chossid, but the chossid responded "don't worry, it isn't you it is all from Hashem." The man then turned around an "accidentally" knocked the chossid onto the floor. Again he apologized and once again the chossid replied "if Hashem didn't decree this, it never could have happened."

The rebbe then called the chassid in to his office and asked him, "yes, what was it that you wanted to speak to me about?" The chossid replied that he has a problem with anger and he can't control himself. The rebbe asked him in shock ," what are you talking about? I just saw that man spill hot tea on you and knock you over, each time you responded with calmness and constraint realizing it was all from Above." The chossid responded to the rebbe "The rebbe was speaking loudly and I heard your conversation". The rebbe told the chossid , "so what?" The chossid said "I heard the rebbe instruct him to get me angry and I therefore knew the rebbe sent him to do this and test me so I didn't get upset, if this would have been in my house though I would have been livid." The rebbe told the chossid that just as he sent the man to go test him, so too in life Hashem sends all kinds of people and situations to test us.

If we realize that all of these situations are being send from Above then we would have no reason to be upset or angry at the person who is being sent.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath