Reply To: Schar in proportion to potential

I think your second explanation is correct. Which means that the shoemaker who was never given the chance to become a Chazon Ish was never given the opportunity to get the Chazon Ish’s schar.

The definition of schar is that we are ?????? ?????? ???? ??????, and each person is ???? in proportion to the quality of his connection with Hashem.

If you think about it like this, it makes even more sense. A steak can be infinitely better than a hot dog, but giving a child a steak instead of a hot dog is a punishment, not a reward. Giving the shoemaker the Chazon Ish’s quality of Oilom Habo would not be reward; on each person’s level, the biggest possible reward is his own degree of “???? ??????”.