Patriarchs and Promises: Navigating Life’s Many Tests

This Shabbat marks the second of the שִׁבְעָה דְּנֶחָמָתָא – the seven Haftarot of consolation read after Tisha B'Av – and we’ll read the following words from the Navi Yeshaya (49:14):

וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי ה' וַה' שְׁכֵחָנִי׃
But Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.

Bnei Yisrael were convinced that Hakadosh Baruch Hu had forgotten and abandoned them, to which He answered:

הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ מֵרַחֵם בֶּן־בִּטְנָהּ גַּם־אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ׃ הֵן עַל־כַּפַּיִם חַקֹּתִיךְ חוֹמֹתַיִךְ נֶגְדִּי תָּמִיד׃
Can a woman forget her baby, or disown the child of her womb? Though she might forget, I never could forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands, your walls are ever before Me.

There is no possible way in which Bnei Yisrael can be forgotten by Hakadosh Baruch Hu, just as a child in its mother’s arms would never be overlooked. These are the opening words of the Haftarah, and its closing verses offer us a tremendous lesson to carry forward:

שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי רֹדְפֵי צֶדֶק מְבַקְשֵׁי ה' הַבִּיטוּ אֶל־צוּר חֻצַּבְתֶּם וְאֶל־מַקֶּבֶת בּוֹר נֻקַּרְתֶּם׃ הַבִּיטוּ אֶל־אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם וְאֶל־שָׂרָה תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם כִּי־אֶחָד קְרָאתִיו וַאֲבָרְכֵהוּ וְאַרְבֵּהוּ׃ כִּי־נִחַם ה' צִיּוֹן נִחַם כָּל־חָרְבֹתֶיהָ וַיָּשֶׂם מִדְבָּרָהּ כְּעֵדֶן וְעַרְבָתָהּ כְּגַן־ה' שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יִמָּצֵא בָהּ תּוֹדָה וְקוֹל זִמְרָה׃

Listen to Me, you who pursue justice, you who seek the Lord: Look to the rock you were hewn from, to the quarry you were dug from. Look back to Avraham your father, and to Sarah who brought you forth. For he was only one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many. Truly the Lord has comforted Zion, comforted all her ruins; He has made her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the Garden of the Lord. Gladness and joy shall abide there, thanksgiving and the sound of music.

I would like to briefly focus on the significance of turning to Avraham Avinu, and on the connection of this instruction to the opening words of the Haftarah – namely, Bnei Yisrael suggesting Hakadosh Baruch Hu has forsaken them. Let’s begin with the facts. When Hakadosh Baruch Hu instructed Avraham לֶךְ־לְךָ – to pick up and leave towards Canaan, Rashi says, based on the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 16b), He told Avraham that in his new land he’ll be made into a great nation whereas in Charan he would not merit the privilege of having children. And the same with regards to his wealth and renown – they would be increased in his new homeland. These three promises are reflected in the promise given to Avraham: וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה. Things didn’t go exactly as promised, however. One year later, two years later, and ten years later, Avraham found himself still without a child. When he arrived in Canaan his money was taken because there was a famine in the land, and he was required to buy food. The famine intensified to the point he had to move to Egypt, where his wife was abducted by the house of Pharoah, essentially killing all chances of her delivering him a child. It would be understandable for Avraham to despair and react in a way that we’d read: וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם עֲזָבַנִי ה' וַה' שְׁכֵחָנִי. While such a response would be reasonable, maybe even warranted, he asked no questions and doubted not for a moment. He accepted that the promises would come to fruition in the manner Hakadosh Baruch Hu chose. He didn’t go to sleep that night expecting to wake up and see immediate results. His son would only come after Yishmael was born, twenty-five years after the promise was tendered. The Navi is telling us, look to Avraham and Sarah, who received their promises in due time, because similarly, we will see the promise of redemption fulfilled in due time. We should not think for a moment that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has forgotten and forsaken us. Rather, we will eventually see that everything plays out the way we were told, albeit with steps along the way that are challenging to understand and appreciate – Hakadosh Baruch Hu has His own calculations and formulations.

We can now connect Avraham Avinu to two elements within our Parsha. Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin says – based on a learning in the Gemara (Bava Kama 55a), the essence of a word is revealed by the first time it appears in the Torah. Our Parsha opens with the words וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן. The first time the word עֵקֶב appears in the Torah – in that exact formation, as opposed to עָקֵב, which appears both in the snake’s curse and the birth of Yaakov and Eisav – is in Parshat Toldot (Bereshit 26:5): עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֺתַי חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי׃ All this is because Avraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My teachings.

Connecting the two instances, the Ba’al HaTurim comments on the opening pasuk of our Parsha, saying it connects us back to the initial promises made to Avraham, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu will uphold His commitments to Avraham by virtue of us keeping the commandments in the future. As we see, Avraham is deeply connected to both our Parsha and Haftarah. There is one more related item to explore which will then lead us to the heart of our shiur.

The first time the term נִסָּיוֹן (test) appears in the Torah is, once again, with regards to Avraham (Bereshit 22:1): וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱ-לֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת־אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי׃ And it came to pass after these things, that G-d did test Avraham, and said to him, Avraham: and he said, Here I am!

There are two instances of נִסָּיוֹן in our Parsha (Devarim 8:2, 8:16):

וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת־כָּל־הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הוֹלִיכְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ לְנַסֹּתְךָ לָדַעַת אֶת־אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבְךָ הֲתִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתָו אִם־לֹא׃
You are to recall the entire way on which Hashem, your G-d, led you these forty years in the wilderness; in order to oppress you, to test you, to know what is in your heart—will you guard His commandments or not?

הַמַּאֲכִלְךָ מָן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ וּלְמַעַן נַסֹּתֶךָ לְהֵיטִבְךָ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶךָ׃
Who fed you manna in the wilderness that your forefathers had not known, in order to oppress you and in order to test you, to ultimately benefit you.

In the sefer Chovot Halevavot (Avodat Ha’Elokim 9), Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Pekuda writes about the tests Hakadosh Baruch Hu subjects man to. I am not referring to tests related to punishment – those are called punishments and not tests, even though they test our endurance. I am referring to tests that seemingly come from nowhere. Chovot Halevavot says, when Hakadosh Baruch Hu wishes to exalt and elevate man, He does so through such tests:

וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי, אֶל מַעֲלַת מִסָּרְךָ בְּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּסָבְלְךָ עוֹל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בּוֹ לְהַעֲלֹתְךָ לְמַעֲלַת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים הַסּוֹבְלִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם (תְּהִלִּים קיג) בָּרְכוּ ה' מַלְאָכָיו גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ. וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לְךָ זֶה וְאֶת עַל עִנְיָנְךָ הָרִאשׁוֹן.

The third is that He disciplines you in this world by your bearing the yoke of His service, in order to raise you to the degree of the higher beings who serve Him, of whom it is said, "Bless the Lord, ye His angels, ye mighty in strength, that fulfill His word." All this could not have been possible if you remained in your former state.

The same idea is found in Mesilat Yesharim (1:26), which says the primary purpose of man's existence in this world is solely to fulfill the commandments, serve G-d, and stand up to trials. The Chafetz Chaim, in our Parsha, adds an idea that will introduce our main topic. לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ לְנַסֹּתְךָ – to oppress you and test you, reflects Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanting to elevate Bnei Yisrael. He needed to see if they were wholehearted with Him. He adds, this practice continues in every generation and with every individual – Hakadosh Baruch Hu wishes to elevate each of us, but we must be tested first. The Midrash says (Bamidbar Rabbah 15:12), Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not elevate a person to greatness until He first tests him, and through this examination, a person rises higher. The Gemara (Bava Batra 10b) presents a story of Rabbi Yehoshua’s son who fainted and saw a heavenly vision. In it, he saw an ‘inverted world’ where those considered insignificant down on earth were important above, and those deemed important on earth were of no significance above. One of the things he heard them saying in the world above was: הֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת אֵין כָּל בְּרִיָּה יְכוֹלָה לַעֲמֹד בִּמְחִיצָתָן – Those executed by the government enjoy such exalted status that no one can stand on their level. This is referring not to Rabbi Akiva, who had other great merits, but rather to the martyrs of Lod, who died to sanctify the name of Hakadosh Baruch Hu but who were not great scholars and otherwise would not be deserving of such status.

Similarly, both Moshe Rabbeinu and David HaMelech were elevated to leadership only after being tested. The Midrash says (Shemot Rabbah 2:2), Moshe Rabbeinu was once tending to Yitro’s flock, when one of the sheep ran away. Moshe ran after it until it reached a small, shaded area. There, the lamb came across a pool and began to drink. As Moshe approached the lamb, he said, “I didn’t know you ran away because you were thirsty. You look so exhausted!” He then put the lamb on his shoulders and carried him back. Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, “Since you tend the sheep of human beings – which can give you nothing in return – with such overwhelming love, by your life, I swear you shall be the shepherd of My sheep, Israel.” Similarly, the Midrash tells the story of David HaMelech, who after being thrown out from his father’s home and becoming a shepherd, split his sheep into three groups according to the strength of their teeth. He then led them to graze in an order that allowed each group to eat properly – first the tall soft grass, then the medium grass left behind, and then the short rough grass that remained. Each group was strategically, and mercifully, matched to grass it could eat.

When such a test is given, it is not to inform the Tester or enlighten Him as to the reality on the ground. He is not marking the test nor issuing a report card at semester’s end, and the result, success or failure, has no bearing on Him. The test is for the one being tested. If you want to know how high you can jump, it is of no help to set the bar to the level you just cleared. If you want to know how much you can lift, it is of no help to lift the same weight you just lifted. Add a few inches or a few pounds, and now you’ll be able to see your potential and progress towards it.

The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 15), in describing the elevation of the Levi’im, says:

קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים יא, ה): ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן וְרָשָׁע וְאֹהֵב חָמָס שָׂנְאָה נַפְשׁוֹ. ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן, אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַעֲלֶה אֶת הָאָדָם לִשְׂרָרָה עַד שֶׁבּוֹחֵן וּבוֹדֵק אוֹתוֹ תְּחִלָּה, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד בְּנִסְיוֹנוֹ הוּא מַעֲלֶה אוֹתוֹ לִשְׂרָרָה.

Take the Levites: This text is related to “The Lord tests the righteous […].” Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not elevate a person to an office until He first tests and examines him. When he withstands his test, He elevates him to the office.

The Midrash then provides multiple examples where this pattern is found, beginning with Avraham Avinu, who had to first pass ten tests before being blessed as the father of our nation. Yitzchak Avinu was tested when Avimelech took his wife, and only afterwards was he blessed. Yaakov Avinu was perhaps the one tested more than anyone else: Eisav sought to kill him; Eliphaz took everything but his staff; Lavan reneged on multiple deals including preventing him from marrying Rachel; Dinah was defiled by Shechem; Yosef was thought to be killed; and Binyamin was ordered to descend to Egypt. Yaakov endured all these travails before being blessed. Yosef, too, was tested though the wife of Potiphar, and shortly thereafter when he was forgotten and left behind in prison. He said nothing, and only afterwards was he blessed and elevated to rule over Egypt. Finally, the entire tribe of Levi was tested. After holding onto Torah and Brit Milah in Egypt while the others slipped into impurity, and after standing up upon hearing the call of “Who is for G-d?” at Cheit Ha’Eigel, they too were blessed and elevated.

The Chafetz Chaim closes by pointing out that in earlier times, when a person served Hakadosh Baruch Hu but was not blessed with an abundance of goodness, they would feel as though Hakadosh Baruch Hu was hiding His face – הֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים. (The Ba’al Shem Tov says, when he was on his trek to sacrificing the son, who he had waited so long for, we are told: וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק – he saw the place from afar. He saw the Makom – i.e., Hakadosh Baruch Hu – as being distant from him. Sefer Avodat Yisrael even says that was the essence of Avraham’s test, otherwise it would have been introduced as a test for both he and Yitzchak, rather than him alone. Only in the end, after being called in a loving manner by Hakadosh Baruch Hu – אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם – did he see the closeness.) Such a person who clings to Hakadosh Baruch Hu despite not experiencing immediate goodness come from it, is engraved on Him forever, and is remembered for good: זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ... לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה. The Chafetz Chaim says, לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ וּלְמַעַן נַסֹּתֶךָ – the trials and tribulations, will be followed by לְהֵיטִבְךָ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶךָ – the future goodness.

There are three parables of tests provided to us by the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 32:3, 55:2). The first is a potter and his ceramic vessels. When the craftsman sees a thin-walled vessel with a hairline crack, he does not knock on the vessel to test it, for fear of shattering it. He tests the sturdiness of his clay by selecting a thick-walled vessel that can easily withstand the knock. So too, Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not test the wicked, as they will fail. Only the righteous are tested, as it says: ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן (Tehillim 11:5).

The second parable is that of a flax worker who knows his flax is of good quality. The more he beats it, the more it improves and the more it glistens. But if of inferior quality, he cannot give it a single knock without it splitting. So too, only the righteous are tested.

The third parable is that of a man who possesses two cows, one strong and the other weak. Which of his cows does he put the load on? Surely, on the strong one! Similarly, Hakadosh Baruch Hu tests only the righteous.

The Maharzu asks why three separate parables are needed for the same message, quoting the same pasuk of ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן. Do the strong clay vessel, the strong flax straw, and the strong cow not all demonstrate the same principle of targeting only the one that can withstand the burden? He answers, they represent three different approaches to the test.

The potter isn’t looking to improve or elevate the vessels, but simply wants to sell them. Neither he nor the world benefit from his knocking on the clay, and he is just demonstrating to prospective buyers that his vessels can withstand a knock. Similarly, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will test a person so that all around him recognize his value and why he is receiving special attention. This mashal refers to Avraham Avinu.

The next parable, of the flax, does include benefit for the owner. After continuously beating the flax, it will improve in quality and when it is eventually ripe to produce oil, the owner will cut it and benefit. This mashal refers to Yosef HaTzaddik.

The final parable, of a man who possesses two cows, represents a case of a job being given only to one who can fulfill it. Similarly, Hakadosh Baruch Hu only tasks tzaddikim with certain tasks, and the wicked are unable to achieve the objectives. This mashal refers to Noach.

Another analogy is provided by sefer Otzarot Hatorah. Imagine observing parents who are trying to teach their young child to walk. An outside observer, unfamiliar with the process, would witness what appears to be cruel punishment – a child not receiving the support they need, falling, and being propped up just to fall once again. Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave us a job – לְהֵיטִבְךָ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶךָ, and the only way to get there is through temporary לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ וּלְמַעַן נַסֹּתֶךָ. That is how we’ll discover and reach our potential.

The first person in the Torah to be tested was Avraham Avinu. We are told וְהָאֱ-לֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת־אַבְרָהָם at the time of Akeidat Yitzchak, which was his final test. As presented earlier, the opening to our Parsha – וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן – and the associated promises from Hakadosh Baruch Hu are directly tied to Avraham passing his tests: עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי. With regards to this last pasuk, the Gemara says (Nedarim 32a), Avraham recognized his Creator at the age of three years. The numerical value of the word עֵקֶב is 172, indicating that he observed this mitzvah for 172 years, and given that he lived until the age of 175, his first recognition of Hakadosh Baruch Hu came at the age of three. The Ba’al HaTurim says there are ten words in that pasuk, which correspond to the Aseret Hadibrot, which contain 172 words and for which Avraham went through ten tests. The Maharal adds, the three initial years of Avraham Avinu’s life were like the years of Orlah. However, despite the discussion of Avraham Avinu recognizing Hakadosh Baruch Hu at the age of three appearing in the Gemara, some of the Midrashim take a different stand. Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Chanina say it was only at the age of 48 that this took place. Furthermore, the Rambam (Hilchot Avodah Zara 1:3) says Avraham recognized his Creator at the age of 40, and the Ra'avad says the Rambam’s text should be corrected to reflect the age of three. The Kessef Mishneh says these age discrepancies can be easily explained by delineating when Avraham Avinu began to recognize Hakadosh Baruch Hu and when that recognition and understanding later peaked.

The reason I bring up these numbers is not to try and dissect them, or to compare one to another. The purpose is to introduce a truly incredible question brought forth by R' Meir Aryeh Reiss in Ori V'Yishi (Siman 8, Page 186), a question that demonstrates how one can learn the Torah year after year, and uncover layer after layer, yet still miss something glaring.

Let’s take the opinion that it was at age 48 that Avraham discovered Hakadosh Baruch Hu. This was during the Dor Haflagah – the generation that built the infamous Tower of Bavel and thought they could climb up into the Heavens and do away with G-d altogether. During that entire episode, we’re told of their plans, of their actions, and of their punishment. Yet, there is no mention of Avraham Avinu. Not a word about his opposition to their activities – according to the Midrash he was the one who davened that their languages be mixed up to prevent their collaboration – nor his own actions that were 180-degrees apart. Regardless of exactly when it was, there is no mention anywhere of Avraham finding Hakadosh Baruch Hu, nor what he did until or after that point.

Fast forward to Ur Kasdim. It’s a great story! The Midrash explains that Terach accused his son, Avram, of having smashed his idols, and reported him to Nimrod, who ordered that he be cast into a fiery furnace. Brother Haran said to himself, “If Avram proves triumphant I am on his side; but if Nimrod wins, I am on his side.” When Avram was saved from the furnace, they asked Haran, “Whose side are you on?” He replied, “I’m with my brother, of course!” So, they threw Haran into the furnace, and he was burnt to death. We bring the story up each morning in our Tefillah:

אַתָּה הוּא ה' הָאֱ-לֹהִים אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתָּ בְּאַבְרָם וְהוֹצֵאתוֹ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים וְשַׂמְתָּ שְׁמוֹ אַבְרָהָם׃ וּמָצָאתָ אֶת־לְבָבוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְפָנֶיךָ...

You are the G-d Who chose Avram, and brought him out of Ur Kasdim and established his name as Avraham; and You found his heart faithful before You…

This is a magnificent story, filled with drama, action, suspense, and lessons. It was also one of the opening shots fired by Avraham Avinu. There is much written about it in the Midrashim and amongst Chazal. Yet not a word appears in the Torah regarding this incident, or this period of Avraham’s life. Not even a hint. All we’re told is a quick line from the perspective of Haran, namely, that he died during his father’s lifetime in Ur Kasdim (and was therefore the first to die Al Kiddush Hashem).

The first time Avraham Avinu is introduced is at the age of 75, when he leaves Charan on a journey to Canaan. Hakadosh Baruch Hu appeared to Avraham and instructed him, seemingly out of the blue: לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ. Would you like to know who this Avraham character is? Sorry, there are no details available. Would you like to know why he was selected for this mission? Unfortunately, there is nothing more to share. We know he was born, and now we’re told what happened to him 75 years later. When Noach was introduced to us, it came with descriptors regarding his character, his actions, and why he was put on center stage. Even when he was born, we were told why he received his name: זֶה יְנַחֲמֵנוּ מִמַּעֲשֵׂנוּ וּמֵעִצְּבוֹן יָדֵינוּ – This one will bring us rest from our work and the anguish of our hands. Have a look at the first Pasuk in Parshat Noach – it contains the bare minimum of what we’d except to be told about Avraham Avinu, our forefather. Yet, all we get is: וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־אַבְרָם לֶךְ־לְךָ. The rest is a secret.

When do the stories of Avraham Avinu in the Torah end? When he is 140 years old. He was 137 at the time of Akeidat Yitzchak, and the following three years were dedicated to marrying off his son. There is lots told about Avraham between the age of 75 and 140, but following that, from the age of 140 until his death at 175, once again – not a word. Quick math shows that we are only privy to what took place during 65 of Avraham Avinu’s 175 years in this world. Nearly two-thirds of his lifetime is hidden from us. I am sorry to ask, but when a well-known Jew dies nowadays, how much is written about them? At their shiva you already have 750 pages, including where they were born, what did they did as a toddler, where their pacifier was purchased, and on and on. You then read about who they learned with, who influenced them, and who they influenced at each stage of their life. And then they got married and once again every detail is reviewed, this time including family members they interacted with, shuls they davened at, and shuls they didn’t daven at. Nothing is left out. Avraham Avinu? We’re told he was sent on a mission. That’s it. The Akeida concluded, and with it the published story of Avraham Avinu.

Yitzchak Avinu has even less written about him. He was born, he had his bris, he was taken to the Akeida, he then disappeared for three years – according to the Zohar he was in Gan Eden – and then he was married at age 40. At age 60 he had twin sons, and that is all until he’s called upon to bless them. The pattern does not change much for his children. At the age of fifteen, Yaakov Avinu acquires the bechora from his brother, and the next time we hear about Yaakov is when he is 63 years old, some 48 years later. There are no stories in the interim – we believe he learned at the Yeshiva of Shem V'Eiver, but we have no details. After receiving the bracha from his father, he returns to his Yeshiva for fourteen more under-the-radar years. At the age of 77, he sets out on his journey that we are told about in Sefer Bereshit. That is until the age of 130, at which point he once again goes off the grid for the next 17 years, when the time of his death neared. Of his entire 147 years of life in this world, we are privy to approximately one third. Rabbotai, none of this makes any sense, and Ori V'Yishi calls it out.

When I was growing up there were but two biographies available – “Chut HaMeshulash” on the Chatam Sofer, and “Pe’er HaDor” on the Chazon Ish – but today our shelves are lined with tremendous works profiling Rabbanim of all generations, with so much to get lost in. New volumes hit the stores each year and amazingly there are always untold stories and lessons to cover. There is nothing greater than learning about these role models and shaping our Avodat Hashem around their lives and lessons. But the Avot? The Torah gives us just a small taste.

The answer given by Ori V’Yishi is amazingly simple and equally poignant. The Torah doesn’t tell us any stories about the Avot. Period. It only tells us about their נִסְיוֹנוֹת – their trials and tests. The reason is simple, too. The Torah is only interested in explaining to us how they achieved the titles: אֱ-לֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱ-לֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵא-לֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב. The Torah wants us to understand why they gained the title Av – Father. They are the only three who carry such titles and the only three referenced in such fashion within our Tefillah, and it is because they are the only three to be consecrated through such tests. As the Maharal says, one was tested in material (Avraham), one physically (Yitzchak), and one with every general struggle possible (Yaacov). Rav Chaim Volozhin points out a discrepancy between two Mishnayot (Avot 5:2-3). The first says: עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מִנֹּחַ וְעַד אַבְרָהָם, yet the next one says: עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִתְנַסָּה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם וְעָמַד בְּכֻלָּם. One does one refer to Avraham and the other Avraham Avinu? He explains, the latter Mishna speaks of the tests that Avraham passed, and it was a direct result of these tests that he became Avraham Avinu.

Rav Chaim Volozhin then adds an amazing by-product of this idea. That we saw many people leave their homes in Morocco, Yemen, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and many other cities in order to move to Eretz Yisrael, was a direct result of Avraham Avinu doing so thousands of years earlier. He is not referring to those who moved after the Shoah, but rather those like the students of the Ba’al Shem Tov and the Gr”a who left their comfortable homes for Eretz Yisrael knowing full well that little awaited them in terms of food and parnassa. Their strength to leave everything behind and arrive in Eretz Yisrael in a fragile state – בְּעֵירֹם וּבְחֹסֶר כֹּל (in nakedness and lacking everything) – was derived from the test Avraham Avinu passed in לֶךְ־לְךָ. Avraham Avinu gave every Jew the strength to leave everything behind, including possessions, family, and students alike, and journey to Eretz Yisrael.

Likewise, the strength to give up one’s life Al Kedushat Hashem, comes from Avraham Avinu’s final test. Rav Shach famously commented on the Gemara recounting the tragic story of Channah (also referred to as Miriam) and her seven sons (Gittin 57b). The first of the woman’s sons was brought before the emperor and told to bow down to an idol. But the son responded: “I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah - אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ.” They immediately took him out and killed him. The same then played out, one son after the next, with each quoting another pasuk and refusing to comply. When only the youngest of the seven was left, the emperor felt a sense of pity for him and started looking for a way to save the boy's life. He said to the boy’s mother, “I will throw down my ring; have him bend over and pick it up, so that people will say that he accepted my authority and bowed down, yet you and he will know that isn’t the truth.” The mother said to her lone-surviving son, “Do not do it. Do not bend down. In a few moments you’ll be with your brothers in Gan Eden.” As they were taking the boy out to be killed, his mother asked to give him a kiss, and she whispered in his ear, “My son, go and say to your father Avraham, ‘You bound one son to the altar, but I bound seven sons to seven altars.’” She then went up to the roof, fell, and died. Rav Shach asks, what does it mean she sacrificed seven and he only one? Was it some type of competition? He answers, the meaning of the message being delivered to Avraham was, “You sacrificing one gave me the power to sacrifice seven.” One and seven were the same result. Avraham sacrificing one would result in him having no children left, just as Channah sacrificing seven.

In January 1984, the Baba Sali was niftar. On the way back from his levaya, there was a tragic car accident that killed four special people – Spinka Chasidim. The Spinka Rebbe’s own son, Yitzchak Isaac, was one of those who lost their lives, and his grandson was critically injured. At the levaya, there was not a dry eye when the Rebbe spoke. He told a story of a group of spies who were well-trained at keeping quiet and holding onto secrets, irrespective of the pain and torture they endured. One was once caught, but no tactic succeeded in getting him to talk, regardless of how brutal it was. One of the interrogators had a novel idea and brought the spy’s children to the cell, where they started crying out, “Abba! Help us! Abba!” The man broke down and told them everything. Years later, after he was returned as part of a prisoner swap, his boss asked why he had given up the information after being so well trained and one of the best at staying silent. He replied, “You trained us for every physical pressure and pain – and we passed. But there is something you never trained us for – hearing the cries of our children. I couldn’t handle it.” The Rebbe concluded, “Ribbono Shel Olam, you took a son, and the children are here crying out ‘Abba!’ But if You think I will break, You are wrong. Because that son is named Yitzchak Isaac, and just as Avraham passed the test of an Akeida, so will I.”

We are subject to four types of tests in this world, related to our bodies, our wealth, our spouses, and our children. Some will experience one and not the other, and some will experience more than one, or even all of them. Avraham Avinu went through all of them. On his body: Brit Milah, the war with the kings, the fiery furnace. On his wealth: he arrived in Canaan during a famine and had no food. On his wife: she was taken by both Avimelech and Pharoah. On his children: casting away Yishmael and offering Yitzchak as a sacrifice. He passed them all and became complete as a result, achieving the title of Av not when the genealogy from Noach reached him, but only after passing the tests.

Avraham Avinu was not put in these predicaments as punishment, but rather because Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted to see how far he would go in his commitment. He was promised goodness and firmly believed in that promise, to the extent that he remained completely silent even when it seemed like the blessings might not materialize. The Navi tells us: הַבִּיטוּ אֶל־אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם וְאֶל־שָׂרָה תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם – Look at the extent of the tests one can endure despite not seeing any sign of light at the end of the tunnel. Do not for a second think that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has forgotten or forsaken us. Like a mother holding their child, that will never occur.

The Midrash says (Midrash Tehillim 18:25), David HaMelech asked, “Ribbono Shel Olam, why am I not one of the Avot? Why do Bnei Yisrael not recite אֱ-לֹהֵי דָוִד and מָגֵן דָּוִד in the opening bracha of the Shemonah Esrei?” The Ben Yehoyada asks, why do we not see Moshe Rabbeinu also ask this question? Why does only David HaMelech ask it? He answers, David HaMelech knew the Merkava would consist of four, and he was promised to be the fourth leg alongside the Avot. Once he was in that group, he asked why it couldn’t also extend to status as Forefather. Hakadosh Baruch Hu replied, “I don’t give out those titles so easily. Each of them was rigorously tested before achieving it.” David then suggested that he too be tested: בְּחָנֵנִי ה' וְנַסֵּנִי (Tehillim 26:2). Hakadosh Baruch Hu warned him he would not be able to stand up to the test and even previewed what it would be. But David insisted. When Hakadosh Baruch Hu tested him with Bathsheva and he did not stand up to it, David immediately prayed that they instead recite בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' מָגֵן דָּוִד in the Brachot of the Haftarah. And that is what he received.

There was only one other person who Chazal say was worthy of the title אֱ-לֹהֵי, and that was Iyov. But he slipped up and lost it as a result. The Vilna Gaon says, four adjectives were used to introduce Iyov, and they each reflect one leg of the Merkava: תָּם - Yaakov, יָשָׁר - Avraham, וִירֵא אֱלֹהִים - Yitzchak, וְסָר מֵרָע - David. Furthermore, everything he received as in tens: ten children (seven boys and three girls), ten thousand livestock (7000 sheep and 3000 camels), ten thousand cattle. Ten is the number of shleimut – completeness. Iyov was poised to become אֱ-לֹהֵי אִיּוֹב until everything went downhill.

וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱ-לֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־ה' וַיָּבֹא גַם־הַשָּׂטָן בְּתוֹכָם׃
One day the divine beings presented themselves before the Lord, and the Adversary came along with them.

וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם – Rosh Hashanah arrived, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu asked the Satan, “הֲשַׂמְתָּ לִבְּךָ עַל־עַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב – Have you noticed my servant Iyov? There is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears G-d and shuns evil!” The Satan replied that Iyov had everything and no reason not to fear G-d. The Satan suggested that some of his animals be taken away, then some of his children, and then a bit more and then all of them, and through this process, they’d see just saw how G-d fearing he was. The challenge was accepted, and the tests began. Iyov passed with flying colors, never once asking why or challenging G-d, and in the process giving us the ultimate Pasuk of faith: ה' נָתַן וַה' לָקָח יְהִי שֵׁם ה' מְבֹרָךְ. But another series of difficult tests was right around the corner, this time directly affecting him and his health. Suffering tremendously from severe boils, his wife suggested that he give up, and that he curse G-d and die. Iyov rejected his wife’s suggestion, but Chazal say (Bava Batra 16a) that although he did not sin with his lips, he did so in his heart, and this eventually led to sinning verbally as well. The Gemara then says that Iyov asked to invite Hakadosh Baruch Hu to din (judgment). Rav says: עַפְרָא לְפוּמֵיהּ דְּאִיּוֹב! Dust should be put in his mouth for speaking this way about his Master. Chazal say in Yalkut Shimoni, had Iyov remained silent and not responded as such, we’d be reciting אֱ-לֹהֵי אִיּוֹב today. But he failed his test. It was not a punishment he received, but a test to see if he could be elevated.

We are tested not as punishment, but לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ וּלְמַעַן נַסֹּתֶךָ, rather לְהֵיטִבְךָ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶךָ, so that we realize our potential and receive goodness, and so that Hakadosh Baruch Hu can promote us and elevate us. We are to learn from Avraham Avinu, who recognized his Creator for 172 (עקב) years, but throughout that entire time we do not recount how he argued with the Dor Haflagah, or how many battles he took on and won, or what he learned and where. We only recount the ten tests he underwent – i.e., his growth – and how he remained steadfast in his belief in the promises given to him, despite how grim things may have looked at any given time. Yaakov Avinu reached Egypt and lived there as though he was in Olam Haba, but we have no stories of this either. We only recount stories where there was personal growth, and personal growth comes through tests and pushing ourselves to do more and achieve more. Tests are what grow a man.

The first time the word שָׁכַח appears in the Torah is in the story of Yosef: וְלֹא־זָכַר שַׂר־הַמַּשְׁקִים אֶת־יוֹסֵף וַיִּשְׁכָּחֵהוּ. The Sar HaMashkim may have forgotten him, but Hakadosh Baruch Hu never forgets. He had His plans, with His timeline, and His steps along the way – and Yosef ultimately benefited. Who waited for Avraham and Sarah in their old age before giving them a child? Who waited for Yosef as he endured all his troubles and sat in prison before becoming viceroy? Who waited for Moshe Rabbeinu when he was placed into the Nile and then exiled to Midyan before becoming our leader? Who waited for Ruth, the Moavite, before initiating a lineage to Malchut Yisrael? Who waited for David HaMelech when he ran from home before making him Melech Yisrael? Who waited for Yehoyachin to get out of prison? Who waited for Chanania, Mishael, and Azaria to climb out of the furnace? Who waited for Haman to devise his wicked plan and execute nearly all its steps before hanging him and his sons on a tree? Who is waiting for the galut to come to its end? Who is waiting for Sukkat David HaNofalet to be rebuilt?

Man may think וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי ה' וַה' שְׁכֵחָנִי, but none of us are ever forgotten or forsaken. Our test is to remain steadfast in our belief that Hakadosh Baruch Hu will bring us all that He promised. When in doubt, in any aspect of our lives, we only need to look to Avraham Avinu. We are promised, and may we immediately see the fulfillment of the Navi’s words:

כִּי־נִחַם ה' צִיּוֹן נִחַם כָּל־חָרְבֹתֶיהָ וַיָּשֶׂם מִדְבָּרָהּ כְּעֵדֶן וְעַרְבָתָהּ כְּגַן־ה' שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יִמָּצֵא בָהּ תּוֹדָה וְקוֹל זִמְרָה׃