Passing Life’s Tests

Everyone would agree that all the tests of Abraham, ’a”h, were very difficult. Whether it was the commandment to leave his homeland, or the extremely difficult challenge of going to battle against four and five kings, or having his wife, Sarah Immenu, ’a”h, taken away by the king.

The one, however, that many Mefarshim have wrestled with, and whose depth and meaning they have tried to understand, was the incredibly difficult test of the ’Aqedah, the binding of Yis-haq Abinu (Yitzchak), ’a”h. After years of childlessness, and in old age, Hashem promises them a son and then proceeds to tell Abraham, ’a”h, to sacrifice hi. How can we understand this?

The Alshikh Haqqadosh, explains that there are different reasons why G-d tests a person.

One reason is to elevate the person. A test represents a struggle between the Yeser HaTob and the Yeser Hara‘ The good and the evil inclinations), and when a person overcomes the evil inclination, he purifies his soul.

Another reason, as in the case of Abraham Abinu,’a”h, is that G-d does not want to appear to be giving preferential treatment to him, by having a special relationship with him and his descendants. By testing him, he publicizes the devotion he has for G-d, and the world sees that he is not getting preferential treatment for no reason, but that, on the contrary, it is fully earned and deserved.

Additionally, a person goes through Yissurim (suffering), in order to atone for and protect his generation. When we see a righteous person who is suffering, Heaven forbid, we must not jump to conclusions and say that it is because there is something inherently wrong with him and that is why he is suffering. On the contrary, we must know that a Saddiq carries the sins of his generation. If he is suffering, we must say that it is the pain, suffering and illness of his generation that he is carrying.

That is why when we see someone righteous sick or suffering, Heaven forbid, we must not only pray for them as we would for any individual of Holei Yisrael, but we should increase our prayers, because it is for all of us that we are pleading for mercy.

The first example is of the type that Yosef Hassadiq, ’a”h, (Joseph) underwent, and the Nisayon (test) with the wife of Potiphar. The third is the type of test that Noah had to endure, because he suffered many difficult situations in the Tebah (Ark). The second, as we already mentioned, is what Abraham Abinu, ‘a”h, went through.

The Hid”a,’a”h, in Ruwah Hayyim, quotes Hakham Almoshnino, ’a”h, who discusses the fact that over the generations, many people gave their life for Qiddush Hashem, like the 10 Martyrs (’Asarah Harughei Malkhuth), the expulsion from Spain and so on. They did this without G-d even appearing to them and commanding them to do it, as He did with Abraham Abinu, ‘a”h. So why is Abraham Abinu’s level considered to be so great on account of passing this test.

The greatness of Abrahm Abinu, ’a”h, is that he did this with complete happiness in his heart. Proof of this is that prophecy (Nebuah) only rests on a person when he is happy. When Abraham Abinu, ’a”h, was about to perform the ‘Aqedah, he was able to prophesy when the angel came to him. This is proof that in this extremely difficult test, he was able to overcome the pain and emotions that would surely be there, and feel only happiness, to be able to follow the will of the Creator. In all other cases, where people were killed in Qiddush Hashem (may G-d avenge their deaths and remove this suffering from His people Israel), it is most likely that there was sadness in their hearts at that moment.

Rab Hid”a, ’a”h, comments, that another difference between Abraham, ’a”h, and the others who gave their lives in Qiddush Hashem, is that in the other cases, it was done against their will, since it was a decree of the governing bodies, but in the case of Abraham Abinu, ’a”h, he was not forced to. It was the commandment of G-d that he followed without questioning.

I know a family who came from Kurdistan. The father, ’a”h, a wonderful man whom I had the pleasure of knowing from when he arrived in this country, bore a scar on his neck. The story (a true story) goes back to when he was in his late teens. The Sunnis always admired him and liked him very much and tried to befriend him. The problem was that they always tried to convert him to Islam. They would invite him to their homes and slaughter a sheep in his honor, but he refused to eat. They kept repeating to him that he was created to become a Moslem.

One day, four of his friends and he, went for an outing to the mountain. The head of the group said to him, “I want to ask of you just one thing. Simply repeat this sentence: ‘I am converting to the religion of Mohammed’”. Instead of saying “Mohammed”, the Jewish boy said “Moussa” (Moses). They kept urging him to repeat the sentence and he refused.

They got very angry and grabbed his hand swearing that they were going to kill him. They took a sword and put it on his neck and started cutting into his flesh. The blood gushed out. But still he refused. When they saw that they could not change his mind they let him go and said, “We never saw a Jew like you who would stick to his religion like this”. He bore the scar till the very end.

We have to remember, that this was no great Rabbi or saintly elder, but a young teen. What this shows us is that each and every one of us has, within us, the ability to ability to elevate ourselves and purify our souls. But we must always pray that we will never be tested.

By Rabbi Ya’aqob Menashe

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Rabbi Ya’aqob Menashe is a renowned author and lecturer, whose Shiurim continue to inspire thousands around the world. Many can be seen at www.NonstopTorah.com. His daily Torah Minutes are eagerly anticipated by thousands every morning. They can be seen at www.ATorahMinute.com. Rabbi Menashe is the spiritual leader of Midrash BEN ISH HAI. More information is available at the Midrash website, www.Midrash.org.