Lech Lecah: a different type of nisayon
As Chazal tell us, Avraham avinu was tested with 10 nisyonos. That number includes the opening commandments in this week's parsha, "Lech lecha." As Rashi explains, the lecha means letovatcha, for your own good. My grandfather raised the question, if so why is this called a nisayon? Being told to do something for your own benefit hardly seems to be a test of faith.
His answer is that the test here is the challenge to do the action because of the command in spite of the tangible benefit it will bring. In that way, it is like the command to eat on the 9th of Tishrei, which is said to be as great as fasting on Yom Kippur. It is so when one's motivations are pure -- fulfilling the command even when there is personal pleasure involved.
Related posts http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2015/10/dvar-yehudah-parsha-points-from-my.html
http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2015/10/whats-so-bad-about-chamas.html
His answer is that the test here is the challenge to do the action because of the command in spite of the tangible benefit it will bring. In that way, it is like the command to eat on the 9th of Tishrei, which is said to be as great as fasting on Yom Kippur. It is so when one's motivations are pure -- fulfilling the command even when there is personal pleasure involved.
Related posts http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2015/10/dvar-yehudah-parsha-points-from-my.html
http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2015/10/whats-so-bad-about-chamas.html
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