In two deceptively simple parables, Nobel laureate S.Y. Agnon challenges our assumptions about divine providence and human spiritual yearning. Through "Tranquility" and "Tears," translated by Rabbi Jules Harlow in *Eilu V'eilu*, Agnon crafts a profound theological meditation on what God does—and does not—provide to humanity. The first parable follows Moses and a devoted follower who discovers that his deepest desire, tranquility, was never part of God's creation. The second depicts the Baal Shem's unconventional practice of using tears instead of water to sharpen his tools, revealing how authentic spirituality demands personal emotional investment. Close textual analysis of these interconnected narratives reveals Agnon's masterful use of traditional Jewish storytelling frameworks to explore the boundaries between divine omnipotence and human suffering. His parables ultimately suggest that core spiritual needs exist beyond the realm of divine gifting, requiring active human participation through struggle and emotional engagement rather than passive reception of heavenly grace.