Avira, you are right about that. I am also curious how the end of her story jabs with her acceptance as a scholar. Maybe it means that social condition in general creates a condition and one should be careful. So, yes, Beruriah was able to overcome her natural tendencies and that is why she wrote about it, as everyone working on his/her middos is keenly aware of them. Still, an additional push from R Meir did her over. There is a general idea that people have an ability withstand test that Hashem sends to you, but if you add up your own test, good luck with that! So, this creates both a question for Beruriah – why she put herself in danger; but even more for R Meir – why did he feel necessary to over-test her.
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