Question: How can we distinguish between obstacles given to us as a test of our determination (which we must overcome) and those given to us to guide us onto the right path?

Answer: Obstacles that we are not meant to overcome appear as actions we must take for the sake of others, and therefore, they are considered good obstacles on the path.

Bad obstacles, on the other hand, stand as barriers separating us from the Creator, and thus, we must go against them.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/15/24, Writings of Rabash “What to Ask of the Creator—to Be His Servant”

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