God Testing Man
 
Moshe Ben-Chaim
 
 
 
The Rishonim discuss God's "testing" of Avraham when He instructed him to sacrifice his only son Isaac.
It is crucial to know that God does not put a person through a trial for the "need of learning something new", as God knows all.
 
Why then does God "test" Avraham and others?
 
The Rishonim teach that God does not test one who will fail. Meaning, God used Avraham as an example for the world to see just how far one should go in his love for his Creator. They also teach that God tests man so as to actualize man's true potential which otherwise would never had been realized.
 
Therefore, "test" is not the correct word. We should say that God "proved" Avraham as a noble individual, one who never veered in his devotion to his Creator, even when faced with the loss of his only beloved son Isaac.




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