שופטים, פרק ו׳, פסוק ל״ט

Gideon turns to God with a request for one final miracle, asking for the exact opposite of what occurred the previous night. This time, he asks that a fleece of wool remain completely dry while the ground around it becomes covered with dew. Approaching God with such a plea causes Gideon a degree of fear. Recognizing the boldness of his request, he prefaces it by asking God not to be angry with him [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The very act of asking for this sign raises a significant theological issue. The Torah explicitly forbids testing God, making Gideon's request seem highly problematic. This difficulty is magnified because God had already provided him with a clear sign, yet Gideon still asks for another, more difficult miracle of a similar nature [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

To resolve this apparent contradiction, a distinction must be made regarding the nature of the test. The biblical prohibition applies specifically when a person doubts God's actual ability to perform a miracle. Gideon, however, harbored no doubts whatsoever about His power. Instead, his request stemmed from personal uncertainty; he simply wanted to determine if he was truly worthy of having God perform such a profound miracle on his behalf [רד"ק בשם רב סעדיה גאון].