Nisayon and Emunah

At the end of this week’s Parsha we learn about Akeidas Yitzchok. The Akeida really occupies a special place in Yiddishkeit—the Abarbanel refers to it as “Keren Yisroel V’Zechusam.” It is an ever-present part of our Teffilah, when we ask Hashem to remember Avraham’s actions at that time, and ask for Zechus Avos to come to our aid at times of need.

What is it about the Akeida that was so special, that was such a moment of greatness, that it remains a significant source of Zechus to us, so many generations later. What can we learn from Avraham’s actions and apply to our lives so that we may too take part in the Zechus of the Akeida.

The Mishna in Avos tells us that Avraham underwent ten Nisyonos during his life, but does not list them. There is a Machlokes among the Rishonim in Parshas Lech Lecha and Vayara exactly what those Nisyonos were, but all agree that the Akeida was one of them, as the Passuk clearly states “Achar Hadevarim HaEleh, V’HaElokim Nissah es Avraham: After these happenings, Hashem tested Avraham.”

In this way the Akeida is unique among the other Nisyonos: we are not told in any other case that Avraham was tested. What was it about the Akeida that in this case specifically we are told that it was a Nisayon?

Throughout the Parshios of Beraishis, that deal with the Avos HaKedoshim, Chazal discuss the idea of Ma’aseh Avos Siman L’Banim. There are a number of ways to understand this concept, but the common thread is that whatever happened to our Avos was connected to their descendants in some way. This seems to be the case regarding Avraham’s Nisyonos as well.

As we mentioned about the Mishna in Avos speaks of the Asarah Nisyonos of Avraham Avinu. The very next Mishna tells us that the Bnei Yisroel tested Hashem in the Midbar on ten occasions.

The Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer says that the two are connected: Hashem knew that the Bnei Yisroel would test Him ten times in the Midbar, and he brought the Refuah before the Makka. The Nisyonos that Avraham was able to withstand were a preventative Kaparah for the ten Nisyonos that the Bnei Yisroel caused in the Midbar. The Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer lists the ten Nisyonos of Avraham and shows how each corresponds to one of the Nisyonos of the Midbar, and brings that the Akeida is connected to the Chet HaMeraglim.

This too needs explanation. How can we understand the connection between the Akeida and the Chet HaMeraglim?

As we mentioned earlier, the Akeida is unique among the Nisyonos of Avraham as it is the only time that word Nisayon is metioned—only at the Akeida does the Torah tell us that Avraham was being tested. Similarly at the time of the Chet Hameraglim the word Nisayon appears as well: Hashem tells Moshe “VaYinasu Osi Zeh Eser Pe’amim: And they have tested me these ten times.” The appearance of the term Nisayon with regard to both the Akeida and the Chet HaMeraglim would appear to connect these two Nisyonos, but perhaps there is something deeper.

R’ ELya Lopian asks an insightful question about the Akeida. It would seem from the fact that the word Nisayon appears at the time of the Akeida that this was a greater Nisayon than the others. This would also fit into the concpt of the Akeida as the “Keren Yisroel V’Zechusam.” But why was this a greater Nisayon than others? According to many Miforshim the Kivshan HaAish was also one of the Asarah Nisyonos, and in that case Avraham was expected to risk his own life, which could perhaps be seen as a greater sacrifice and therefore a greater Nisayon. Why then is a the Akeida considered the paramount Nisayon?

R’ Elya explains that the Nisayon of the Akeida was not the actual Shechita of Avraham’s only son—if Hashem commanded him personally to carry our such an act, he would gladly do so. Rather, the Nisayon was the reaction that this would garner in the world.

Avraham spent his entire adult life spreading the Dvar Hashem and trying to convince people of the fallacy that Avodah Zarah represents. He would spend hours and hours showing people the absurdity manifest in their pursuit of Elokei Masecha, and explaining why their various modes of Avodah were inane. Human sacrifice, which is a form of some Avodah Zarah, was often the topic of these discussions.

Avraham would explain to people that a person has potential to do so much good on this world, to accomplish so very much, that slaughtering a person for the sake of a God is backwards. Rather than ending a person’s life in honor of a God, a person should live as long as he can to further serve that God. What sense is there in cutting short a person’s ability to serve his God?

When Hashem told Avraham “Kach Na Es Bincha…V’Haelhu Sham L’olah” there was no question that on a personal level Avraham would be willing do just that. Although he had waited for this son for so long, he would be willing to give him up in order to do the Ratzon Hashem.

But if Avraham did in fact bring his very own son as a human sacrifice, would he not appear to be contradicting his very own gospel? His life’s work would be ruined, as had participated in the very Avodah he had advocated against on many occasions. This being the case there was room for rationalization: although Avraham was willing to bring Yitzchok as an Olah, it would be to the detriment of the Kvod Shamayim that he had worked so hard to increase. Perhaps in this case the potential fallout of his actions should justify an adverse reaction to the Tzivuy of Hashem.

In overcoming this rationalization, in standing up to this Nisayon, Avraham showed a very important Middah: when a person knows that he is doing the Ratzon Hashem, the reaction of others should be totally irrelevant. Even in this case, when it could very well be argued that fulfilling the Ratzon Hashem would be contrary to Avraham’s ultimate mission in life, outside reaction could not play a role; Avraham had to carry out the Tzivuy that he received.

I think this insight into the Nisayon of the Akeida can help us understand how it is connected to the Chet HaMeraglim.

One part of the Meraglim’s report upon their return from Eretz Yisroel was: “U’nhi Beneynu K’Chagavim, V’chen Hayinu BeEneihem: We saw ourselves as grasshoppers, as so were we in their eyes.” The Medrash in Parshas Shelach tells us that this statement made Hashem especially angry. In fact some Meforshim explain that this line was at the root of their Chet.

When the Meraglim went to Eretz Yisroel, they were going with the knowledge that Hashem told them that they would inherit the land. These were the same people that heard the words “Hashem Yilachem Lachem, V’Atem Tacharishun” directly from Moshe Rabeinu. They knew that the Atzas Hashem was for them to defeat the inhabitant of the land. This being the case, the way they were looked upon by those whom they encountered should have been irrelevant—the Ratzon Hashem should override any outside perception.

In this way the Meraglim failed precisely where Avraham succeeded. Avraham was able to discount any outside reaction to the Akeida because he knew that he was doing what Hashem wanted him to do. The Meraglim, on the other hand, were so consumed by what others thought of them, so distracted by the “V’chen Hayinu BeEneihem” that they were unable to rely on the security provided by the Ratzon Hashem, which led them to be able to say “Lo Nuchal L’alos es Ha’Am Ki Chazak Hu Mimenu: We will not be able to face the people (who are currently there), because they are surely mightier than us.”

We can now understand the words of the Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer: The Nisayon of the Chet HaMeraglim and that of the Akeida are certainly tied to each other. Avraham’s accomplishment in overcoming the Nisayon of the Akeida, his ability to lok beyond the outside perceptions and focus on the Ratzon Hashem was indeed the Refuah before the Makka, and in some way was Mechaper on the Chet Hameraglim before it even happened.

It seems to me that this is a challenge that we all face on a regular basis. Often times we know in our heart of hearts exactly what the Ratzon Hashem is, but we have a difficult time meeting the challenge because of outside influences. Sometimes this is rooted in a desire not to appear “too frum” but sometimes the Yetzer Harah appears with a black hat, so to speak, convincing us that we will alienate others or turn them away by acting in the proper way.

How can we overcome this instinct and rise to the challenge, as Avraham Avinu did?

R’ Tzdok HaCohen, in Tzidkas HaTzadik, says: “Just as a person must have Emunah in Hashem, he needs to have must in himself.” We tend to second guess ourselves and vacillate when it comes to our Yiddishkeit. Even when we think that we are sure of the right thing to do, we are not fully convinced of our own worthiness or Shleimus. This allows the Yetzer Harah to plant notions in our minds, and can steer us away from the decisions that we know are correct.

Avraham was the father of Emunah, and just as he was a Mamin in Hashem, he was a Mamin in himself. When he realized the Ratzon Hashem, nothing could steer him away, because he had this Emunah. We must all work on our Emunah in ourselves, so that when we are faced with our own Nisyonos of a similar nature we will be able to stand up to the test, keeping with our status as Bnei Avraham.