Journey's Judgement
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
The Torah records two different times Hashem tested Avraham Avinu by commanding him to go, to lech lecha. The first time is in our parsha. Hashem tells Avraham to go from his land, his birthplace, and his father's home. Decades later, Hashem command Avraham, "Lech Lecha/Go to the Land of Moriah, and bring up [your beloved son Yitzchak] upon one of the mountains which I shall indicate to you." Given the repetitive language, our Sages debate which of these two journeys was the more beloved trial.
According to the Midrash, the fact that Hashem told Avraham Avinu to go to Har Moriah, to the place from which Torah teaching and fear of God will emanate, implies that this second test is the more beloved of the two.[Moriah can be translated either as teaching, like Torah, or as fear and awe, as yirah. CKS] Dying al kiddush Hashem/for the sanctification of God's Name is considered the highest test and indeed Yitzchak would be dying on the altar. How could the medrash question which of these trials would be greater and more beloved by Hashem?
Rabbi Mordechai Druck points to some differences in these commands that sheds some light on why the question itself was raised. Although both commands are interpreted as, "Go for your own good,"when Hashem commands Avraham to leave his land, Hashem promises Avraham several blessings connected to this move. But Hashem does not tell him where he is to go, what his destination will be. With the second journey, Hashem tells Avraham his destination, but specifies no reward. Because of these differences, Rabbi Levi had raised the question not of which is the greater, more difficult challenge for Avraham Avinu, but which is the more beloved by Hashem. Yet the Torah testifies that Avraham's performance of the mitzvah, of leaving everything behind, had nothing to do with the promised reward, but was done simply because Hashem thus commanded him. Similarly, the Torah testifies that even without a promised reward, indeed with willingly giving up his legacy and life's work by sacrificing his son, Avraham kept going to the place Hashem had told him to go.
In My Sole Desire, Rabbi Kluger explains that while man's greatest desire is to connect to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, under most circumstances, the physical desires of the body are stronger than the spiritual desires of the spirit. However, when faced with challenges, the desire to connect to Hashem becomes stronger, and makes those challenges worthwhile. When a Jew undergoes trials and remains steadfast in his loyalty to Hashem, his spiritual beauty is revealed both to the world and to himself. Hashem presented Avraham with these challenges, forcing him to journey from place to place, symbolically releasing his beautiful fragrance wherever he went.
Rabbi Tauber, who transcribed and adapted the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, beautifully interprets these journeys homiletically. He divides the influences on what we become as a product of three sources, of nature, nurture, and intellectual maturity. In this conceptualization, Hashem is telling Avraham to go from his natural, inborn desires, from his environment and society, and even from his own mind-set and intellect. For I, Hashem will lead you to your innermost essence, that spark of Godliness within you. Go away from your finite self to the self that is one with Me.
By accepting Hashem's second command, to bring his son Yitzchak as a sacrifice upon the altar, writes Rabbi Schwab, Avraham Avinu was in fact sacrificing his own intellect to Hashem's will; Avraham did not pose the question of how Hashem's promise that through Yitzchak would his seed [and his legacy] be fulfilled if he sacrificed this very son upon the altar. Avraham refused to question, accepting that Hashem is always right, even when we cannot understand it. This act of self sacrifice of the mind was therefore more beloved to Hashem than the earlier journey.
In yet another perspective, Rabbi Ochion poses the question, which is more beloved, a great, one time challenge, or a lesser, continuous challenge that persists throughout one's life. The akedah was an overwhelming trial, but it would be done once; leaving everything you know and beginning life anew in a new land with a completely new lifestyle would present daily, though rather minor challenges.
Rabbi Chaim Cohen, "Hachalban," puts these two categories into perspective. Each person is unique with a mission unique to him. To succeed in this mission, Hashem gives him many tools and many challenges. Sometimes what is necessary is a major test to shake up an individual in an area that requires very strong, immediate action. Sometimes one is required to perfect a negative characteristic by daily work and practice to counter a negative trait, like jealousy or anger. The seemingly trivial, daily challenges are meant "for your own good," to improve and perfect the person you are. The traumatic ones are meant for our good in the next world. While the great trial is more beloved to Hashem, each small challenge you overcome and grow from is also beloved.
Rabbi Kluger clarifies these categories of tests. When a person is confronted with a major challenge, he recognizes the situation as a challenge, as a test of his faith. His friends also recognize these difficult times and lend support. However, the personal challenges are private, and must be dealt with privately, without outside support. No one else is aware that you are struggling not to divulge a piece of juicy gossip, or are trying to rejoice with your friend's good fortune without becoming jealous. This struggle is not of the magnitude of the akedah, but it is a challenge and a trial, nonetheless. And it is through overcoming these personal challenges that we fulfill our unique role in revealing kavod Shamayim/the glory of Heaven in this world. In the future, Moshiach will reveal the daily challenges each of us faced, for indeed Hashem took notice.
There are two reasons for embarking on a journey, notes Rabbi Weinberg in Shemen Hatov. One may either be traveling to leave a negative environment, or one may be traveling toward a destination. As Rabbi Mordechai Ezrachi writes, in the first journey, Hashem was telling Avraham to travel away from Charan, to erase seventy five years of experiences, delete them forever, physically and spiritually. If you are to be "the father of many nations," you must start afresh. Therefore, Hashem does not tell him where to go. His focus is exclusively on leaving the past. But the second lech lecha is about the future. Therefore Hashem tells him the destination, Har Moriah. For each of us, the sur meira/leave the negative, evil ways must precede the asei tov, do good, but the ultimate goal is to do good.
This sequence is reinforced when Yaakov Avinu blesses Yosef's sons Ephraim and Menashe. Although Menashe is the elder, Yaakov crosses his hands to put his right, more important, stronger hand over Ephraim and his left hand over Menashe. The Slonimer Rebbe explains in Netivot Shalom that Yaakov was referencing the meaning behind their names. Yosef named Menashe in gratitude for Hashem's letting him forget the troubles of his past. In contrast, Ephraim was named for Hashem's making him fruitful in the land of his suffering. In other words, leaving the negative is not as important as building the positive. Even though both activities are important, the desire to do good will help us stay away from evil. Both Ephraim and Menashe will be great, but the positive will be greater.
While everyone agrees that the second journey, the journey to bind Yitzchak as a sacrifice, was the more beloved trial Avraham Avinu faced. Rabbi Michel Twerski gives a unique explanation for this preference. In Yiram Hayam, Rabbi Twerski explains that one might assume that the first journey from Charan might be more difficult and more beloved because Avraham had not yet forged as close a relationship with Hakodosh Boruch Hu as he would later develop, and he could therefore be more inclined to question the reasons for leaving everyone and everything behind. The second journey to bind his son and offer him as a sacrifice posed a different sadness in Avraham, a sadness specifically created by Hashem's telling him to go to Har Hamoriah. According to Rabbi Twerski, Avraham realized that Hashem requested that he sacrifice Yitzchak on the same mountain that Adam had built an altar and on which Noach had brought sacrifices after the flood. Avraham reasoned that in the future the nation Hashem would choose to spread His word would also bring sacrifices at this place. If he were to sacrifice his son here, that privilege would be fulfilled by someone else's descendants rather than by his own. It pained him that he would not have descendants to fulfill this mission and to bring sacrifices to Hashem on this very mountain. It was this desire, suggests Rabbi Twerski, that was so dear to Hashem, that in spite of his longing for descendants to serve Hashem, Avraham still wanted to annul his own desire and to fulfill Hashem's request with love.
We tell our children stories of the lives of our Avot and of great tzadikim throughout the ages. Our children may feel they are failures even before they begin, for they would never achieve the greatness of these tzadikim, or pass the trials Hashem sets for them. What we must impress upon our children is that only Hashem can properly evaluate each situation and the response each of us makes. The same action may take greater effort from one individual than from another, either because of differing circumstances or differing personal, emotional, or psychological natures. As Rabbi Pam adds, we certainly cannot judge anyone else, for we don't know his personal struggles or challenges. Equally important, do not compare yourself to others, for you too have challenges no one else has and no one else is aware of.
Every person born is given struggles, challenges and trials, and is given the tools to cope and overcome them, as difficult as that may seem. Perhaps our biggest challenge is to love ourselves enough to pray that Hashem help us meet our challenges successfully, for He loves even our small victories. Every struggle and trial we overcome builds our character, strengthens our midos, and fashions us more closely to the potential Hashem has created us for.