Our Rabbis tell us that Avraham was tested ten times. Ten times, his belief in the one true G-d and the rightness of his course were tested. Most commentators assume that he passed most, but not all, of the tests. Some of the tests predate our acquaintance with Avraham. For example, while Terach (Avraham's father) and his family still lived in Ur Kasdim (Ur of the Chaldeans), Avraham refused to bow down to a statue of the then king of the Chaldeans, Nimrod. As a result, Nimrod cast Avraham into a flaming furnace. A miracle occurred to reward Avaraham's good faith, and he emerged from the fire unscathed (this story echoes the one explicitly told in Tanach about Chananya, Misha'el, Azarya, and Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel).
We will read of another test next week. It is a famous ethical dilemma: should Avraham daven to save the evil people of Sdom? And when he chose to, what was the test? Was it whether he would pray or accept the decree when Hashem proved implacable?
Sometimes, the test seems more straightforward. One such test occurs early in this week's Parsha. Avraham spends years travelling from Ur of the Chaldeans. Finally, he arrives in the Land of Israel, and Hashem tells him that this is the land he was promised. However, almost immediately, Israel is hit by a severe famine, and he is forced to leave for Egypt temporarily. How would Avraham have felt? He must have been highly discouraged by the immediate event, which made it impossible to settle in the land he had dreamt of for so long.
However, we know that Avraham never lost faith and never abandoned his plan to settle in Israel. Despite the many obstacles, Avraham and his descendants maintained their link to the land, as we do now. He taught us a lesson that no matter how long our absence, Israel remains the Jewish national home.
Today, Israel is embroiled in the longest hot war since its founding as a modern state. As the war drags on, both Israeli Jews, who are affected profoundly by its day-to-day realities and fears, and Jews outside of Israel, who have seen a massive surge in anti-Semitism, are entitled to feel tired. Avraham teaches us that no matter how tired we get, we should maintain our faith in our relationship with Hashem and maintain our connection to Israel. That is the call of not just the current time but of any protracted challenge afflicting the Jewish people.
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