5786/2025
In this week's Parashah, Parashat Vayeira, the Pesukim provide a detailed account and extensive detail when describing Akeidat Yitzchak. One key Pasuk states, “Some time afterward, G-d put Avraham to the test, saying to him… “ (BeReishit 22:1). This may seem straightforward at first; however, it is actually a phrase asked about by various commentators.
Rav Shlomo Ganzfried, for example, in his sefer Apiryon, asks why the Pasuk only claims to have put Avraham to the test, shouldn't it also have spoken about the Nisayon of Yitzchak? He was risking his life! Rav Ganzfried explains that when the Torah refers to an individual being tested, it refers only to the first encounter with that challenge, since the first time is always the most challenging. Because Avraham had already risked his life for the sake of Hashem (when he entered the furnace of Nimrod), the challenge faced by Yitzchak—who was now also risking his life for G-d—is not considered to be as significant a test as Avraham's.
Therefore, when facing a challenge or a nisayon in life, it's important to remember that one is not alone; many others have dealt with similar situations and have grown from them. Each difficulty is a chance to become stronger, demonstrating that tough times can be transformed into opportunities to learn and become better than we were before. Good Shabbos.