One of the ten Nisyonos that Avrohom Avinu had was to leave his homeland. Meforshim ask, what was the test of Avrohom leaving his hometown, for why wouldn’t he have wanted to leave the house of his father, which was full of Avodah Zara? Why wouldn’t he want to leave a place where he was being persecuted, as we know he was thrown into a fire, and go to Eretz Yisroel?
Chazal tell us in many places the concept that the greater Kedusha and potential Kedusha, the greater the potential for Tumah. Eretz Yisroel has a great Kedusha, and therefore it also has the potential for greater Tumah. The battle against the Yetzer Hara is greater in Eretz Yisroel, than in Chutz La’aretz.
There is a known story of a great Tzaddik who lived in Chutz La’aretz, and wanted to migrate to Eretz Yisroel. However, he feared that the Yetzer Hara would be stronger in Eretz Yisroel, and perhaps he would not be able to defeat him there. He therefore made a deal with the Satan that when he emigrated to Eretz Yisroel, the Satan would not come along with him. The Satan agreed, and guaranteed that he would remain in Chutz La’aretz. When the Tzaddik arrived in Eretz Yisroel, he saw that the Satan had come with him. The Tzaddik was bewildered how the Satan could be there, when he had given a guarantee. The Satan explained that the guarantee that the Tzaddik had received was from one of the messengers of the Satan. The Satan remains in Eretz Yisroel, while for the rest of the world he sends messengers. It was a messenger who gave a guarantee that he would not enter Eretz Yisroel with the Tzaddik. It was true – for the messenger remained in Chutz La’aretz, but now in Eretz Yisroel the Tzaddik would have to contend with the Satan himself.
The Chasam Sofer in Parshas Chayei Sarah says that “כנען” is Roshei Taivos for, “כנור נעים עם נבל” – this teaches us that while Eretz Yisroel is a beautiful pleasant place, “a pleasant harp,” it also comes along with the “נבל” – the Satan. Now we can understand what the Nisoyon was for Avrohom Avinu. He had already conquered the Yetzer Hara, the messengers of the Yetzer Hara, in Chutz La’aretz. If he were to go to Eretz Yisroel, he would need to start a new, more intense battle with the Satan himself. (ברך משה)
Avrohom Avinu could have told Hakodosh Boruch Hu that he would certainly like to go, and maybe would do so some time in the future, but he was not prepared now. That was not Avrohom’s response. He understood that everything Hakodosh Boruch Hu does is for good, and that his Avodah was to leave at that moment. Obviously, there were places where Avrohom had to be in order to bring forth more Kedusha. Certainly, one must seek to raise his level of Kedusha, but he must be well prepared to do so. By Avrohom not asking any questions, and showing his complete Emunah in Hakodosh Boruch Hu, that was what gave him the power to overcome any potential pitfalls of going to the holy Land of Eretz Yisroel. May we be Zoche to be returned to our Land, the holy Land of Eretz Yisroel, במהרה בימינו אמן!
