They remove averas. The third reason is that there are many people who would do a lot of averas if they had a lot of spare time on their hands. A person who hasn t really conditioned himself to do the right things is going to do the wrong things if he has time. Problems keep him busy and out of trouble the real trouble that is the consequence of doing averas. A person who learns but does not work is in danger of doing averas when he stops learning.
Free time can be a most dangerous thing.
So some people need to be distracted and busy with problems to prevent them from doing averas. That s the reason that some people may find that their lives are filled with problems. Of course, it also works the other way around. A person who is pre-occupied with his problems or severely depressed may be unable to lead a constructive life. The three reasons that the Yaavetz gives for problems are not applicable in every situation, but for the person whose life is directed to the spiritual development which is life s true purpose, these reasons provide real consolation.