Hashem told Avraham (22:2) את בנך את נא קח שם והעלהו המריה ארץ אל לך ולך יצחק את אהבת אשר יחידך אליך אמר אשר ההרים אחד על לעלה, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, Yitzchak, and go to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a korban olah on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you." Rashi writes, "נא קח, please take, is an expression of requesting." Hashem requested and pleaded with Avraham that he pass this test. Rashi writes, "Hashem said to Avraham, 'I beg of you, pass this test for Me, so people will not say that the first tests had no substance.'" The Akeidah was the tenth test. If he failed this test, it would discredit the first nine tests he succeeded in.
The Midrash Tanchuma (22) elaborates: "It can be compared to a king confronted with many wars. He had a mighty warrior who won all the wars. One day, an extremely difficult war started. The king said to his mighty warrior, 'Please, I beg you that you win this war. Otherwise, the generals of my army will say that the first wars I succeeded in have no value. Similarly, Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to Avraham, 'I tested you nine times, and you were successful, and you passed these tests. Now, succeed in this test, ממש בהם היה לא ראשנים יאמרו שלא, so they won't say that the first tests didn't mean anything.'"
Reb Shimon Shwab zt'l once made a dinner to raise money for his yeshiva. He spoke at this dinner and mentioned this Midrash. Reb Shwab asked, "Why should failing one test disprove the first nine tests that Avraham successfully passed? If a person receives a 90% on a test, does that mean he got all the answers wrong? He didn't answer one of the questions correctly, but that doesn’t discredit the fact that he answered nine correctly!
Reb Shwab answered that the tenth test, the Akeidah, wasn't only to test Avraham; it was also a test for his son, Yitzchak. If Yitzchak wouldn’t agree to the Akeidah, this would mean that Avraham failed in passing on the emunah to the next generation. And then all the other tests, although successfully passed, have no value.
Reb Moshe Feinstein zt'l was at this dinner, and after the drashah, he told Reb Shimon Shwab that there is another answer to his question. He explained that there are no compromises when it comes to emunah. Either you believe or you don't. Therefore, 90 percent emunah is nothing at all!
The Mishnah (Avos) states, "Avraham was tested ten times, and passed them all." The Meor Einayim (Va'era) says that every Yid is tested with ten major tests in his life. The Ahavas Shalom also writes, "A person doesn't attain a נאמן לב, believing heart, before he is tested with ten tests like Avraham.
The Meor Einayim explains that at the time of a person’s test, Hashem takes his emunah away, and his belief isn't as clear and perfect. This is because if he had perfect emunah, it wouldn't be a test at all. A person's mission is to maintain as much of his emunah as possible during those times so that he can pass the test.
The ultimate test of Avraham Avinu was the akeidah, which begins with the words, אברהם את נסה והאלקים, "And Hashem tested Avraham". The Baal Shem Tov zt'l explains that at the akeidah, Hashem took away all of Avraham's madreigos. As a result, he didn't feel any connection to Hashem which made the test much greater.
The Avodas Yisrael zt'l (Vayikra ויקרא ה"ד) says that this is alluded to in the words (22:4), וירא מרחוק המקום את. The word מקום hints to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the עולם של מקומו. He saw Hashem מרחוק, from a distance. He didn't feel close to Hashem. All of his lofty levels left him. Nevertheless, he remained loyal to Hashem and was prepared to do the akeidah, which was the will of Hashem.
The Yesod HaAvodah zt'l (vol.4, 2:7) writes that המקום also refers to Yaakov Avinu, about whom it states (Bereishis 28:11), במקום ויפגע (he came to Har HaMoriah). And, as we wrote, המקום hints to Hashem, the עולם של מקומו. The pasuk alludes to the questions that popped into Avraham's mind unwillingly as he went to the akeidah. Hashem had told Avraham that Yitzchak would bear a son, Yaakov Avinu. How would Yaakov be born if Yitzchok was now to be sacrificed? This is the meaning of the words המקום את וירא. He had questions on Hashem, Who told him that Yitzchak would become a great nation. So, what did Avraham do? The pasuk answers, מרחוק, “distance.” He pushed these thoughts far away from his mind. He refused to think about these questions, and with emunah peshutah he performed Hashem's will.
