אֵין הַקָבָּ"ה נוֹתֵן גְּדֻלָּה לָאָדָם עַד שֶׁבּוֹדְקֵהוּ בְּדָבָר קָטָן וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַעֲלֵהוּ לִגְדֻלָּה

ביטוי (אנגלית)

God Does Not Grant Greatness to a Person Before Testing Him in a Small Matter and Then Elevating Him to Greatness

הגדרה (אנגלית)

The Holy One, blessed be He, tests a person with small matters and examines his character before raising him to greatness.

("God does not grant greatness to a person before checking him in a small matter, and then raising him up to greatness. Behold, two great men of the world whom God tested in a small matter and found them faithful and elevated them to greatness: He tested David with the flock, and they did not stray except in the wilderness to remove them from theft… and similarly with Moses, it is said, 'And he shepherded the flock after the wilderness to bring them out from the theft,' and God took him to shepherd Israel" – Shemot Rabbah (Vilna), Parashat Shemot, chapter 2.)