והאלוקים נסה, “and G’d tested.” Nachmanides describes the function of such “tests” as a device to ensure that the action undertaken by man under such conditions be perceived by him as absolutely free from external pressure, whereas from G’d’s perspective, of course, it is a commandment. (it is difficult to assume that G’d did not know beforehand how man would react to such a commandment.) G’d only wants to translate something He knew potentially into the domain of reality, a demonstration that what He knew man is capable of, man would actually carry out. Man cannot expect to be rewarded for potential acts of goodness, obedience, etc. In order to qualify for reward man must demonstrate that his goodness is more than just “potential.” Seeing that G’d’s objective is to reward man, there is no point in His subjecting the wicked to similar tests, as they will not only not garner the reward but incriminate themselves further by failing to carry out the command which constitutes the “test.” G’d subjects only the righteous to such tests, as He knows they will pass them with flying colours. Rash’bam explains the word נסה, as introducing a painful experience for the subject of such a test. An example of the use of the root נסה in such a context would be Exodus 17,7 where the Israelites had been tested in a painful manner in having gone without water before G’d provided same, miraculously. Other examples can be found in Job 4,2 or Psalms The reason Avraham was subjected to such a painful test was that although G’d had given him a son at the age of 100 years, he had seen fit to make a covenant with Avimelech covering hundreds of years in the future, when he did not even know yet if this son would not die before ever having sired any offspring himself. Avraham did not realize that G’d did not actually want him to slaughter Yitzchok, but only wanted him to “offer” him on the altar, as the words העלהו לעולה indicate. Some commentators understand the word נסה to mean “elevate to a higher stature” in a spiritual sense, such as Kings II The meaning would be parallel to נשאו with the letter ש instead of ס.

אל ארץ המוריה, “to the land around Moriah.” Nachmanides understands the term מוריה as describing the region on earth whence reverence for the Lord originates. Other commentators connect it to the incense and frankincense offered on that site. Onkelos translates the term asארעא פולחנא , i.e. a land in which G’d is being worshipped. The word מוריה, means fear and reverence, as at that site G’d is being revered and people are in awe of Him. This is also what Midrash Rabbah had in mind when focusing on the line (verse 9) ויבן שם אברהם את המזבח, “Avraham erected there the altar.” Avraham did not build a new altar, but used an altar on which religious people in former years had offered their sacrifices to the G’d in heaven. Regarding the plain meaning of the text, the words אל ארץ המוריה mean that this was a region where a variety of spices could be found, including first and foremost מור, myrrh. Whereas the Torah here refers to the whole region as ארץ המוריה, Ezra, in a parallel reference in Chronicles calls only the mountain הר המוריה. (Chronicles II 3,1) Avraham had been familiar with the region but not with the specific mountain G’d had in mind. This is why G’d instructed him to go to the general region, and once there, He would point out the specific mountain He had in mind. This mountain had already become a point on earth which G’d was especially fond of, and on which He had selected to make His terrestrial residence when the time was ripe. The merit Avraham would acquire by offering his beloved son there to G’d as a sacrifice would further endow this site so that prayers addressed to G’d from there in the Temple would be especially effective.

ויבקע עצי עולה, “He split the kindling for use in the burnt offering.” He had made all these preparations in the event there would be no trees on that mountain. Alternately, he brought the wood from his house after he had examined that it was free from worms. We have a halachah, according to which worm eaten wood must not be used on the altar of the Temple.

וירא את המקום מרחוק, “he saw the place from a distance.” He observed that only this particular mountain was covered by a cloud. According to the plain meaning of the text, the verse means that Avraham could recognize the region already from a distance, as he had been familiar with it.

ונשתחוה ונשובה אליכם, “we will prostrate ourselves (before the |Lord) before returning to you.” According to Ibn Ezra Avraham said this in order not to reveal to Yitzchok as yet what he had in mind. Other commentators suggest that the line be understood as a question: “do you really think that all we will do there is say a prayer and immediately return to you?”

ויבאו אל המקום אשר אמר לו האלוקים, “they arrived at the place that G’d had spoken to him about.” This was Mount Moriah, which G’d had said He would point out to him.

ויקרא אליו מלאך ה' מן השמים, “an angel of the Lord called out to him from the heaven, etc.” Why did the angel call from the celestial regions instead of first descending to earth and addressing Avraham, as had occurred on other occasions? The interference had become such an urgent matter that he was afraid that he would be too late, Avraham having already concluded the act of slaughtering Yitzchok.

אל תשלח ידך אל הנער, “do not touch the lad!” According to the Midrash, the angel saw that Avraham had suddenly realized that he no longer had a knife in his hand. (this is why the angel told him not to harm Yitzchok with his hand, instead of with his knife). Avraham therefore decided to strangle Yitzchok with his bare hands in order to carry out G’d’s command. This is when the angel had to tell him not to harm Yitzchok in any manner.

כי עתה ידעתי, “for now I know, etc.” Nachmanides writes that the meaning is that up until that moment the degree of reverence for G’d that Avraham was capable of existed only as a potential; now it had been translated into reality.

והנה איל אחד, “and lo there was a ram, etc.” According to Ibn Ezra, Avraham had not seen the ram until it had become enmeshed in the thicket with its horns. Other commentators hold that Avraham had observed the same ram previously when it was unencumbered and grazing, whereas now he saw it suddenly caught in the thicket by its horns. He assumed that this was in order for him to be able to secure it easily as a substitute for Yitzchok.

יען אשר עשית את הדבר הזה, “because you have done this thing, etc.” G’d had already assured him long before this that He would greatly increase the number of Avraham’s biological descendants and compared them to the stars in heaven and to the sand on the beaches of the sea, etc. At this point G’d adds an additional blessing in the form of an oath that Avraham’s seed will be successful in conquering the land of their enemies.

ויהי אחרי, “it was after;” according to Rashi the words הדברים האלה refer to the עקדה, to the episode of the biding of Yitzchok immediately preceding this paragraph. Although as a general rule the word אחרי, as opposed to the word אחר, refers to matters not immediately before what had been related last, in this instance it could mean either.

הנה ילדה מלכה גם היא, “Milkah also gave birth to several children.” According to Nachmanides the use of the introductory word הנה suggests that up until that moment Avraham had been unaware that Milkah had born any children. If Milkah had already born children while a young woman, it is difficult to imagine that Avraham would not have heard about this. After all, they did not live that far apart from one another. When Avraham had emigrated he had been 75 years old, whereas at this point he was 137 years old. Nachor obviously had also aged in the interval, and Milkah apparently had not been blessed with children until late in life. Nachor’s family had also become the beneficiary of G’d’s miraculous intervention in their lives. Milkah had shared the good fortune of her sister.

קמואל אבי ארם. According to Nachmanides, Aram is mentioned in order to have an excuse to mention Kemuel, to show that Kemuel’s son Aram became far more distinguished than his father. [normally, the Torah lists the names of people as “son of such and such.” The reverse here indicates that the son outshone the father. Ed.]

ובתואל ילד את רבקה, “and Bethuel sired Rivkah.” The Torah fails to mention Lavan at this stage, so that we have no clue whether he was older than Rivkah. The only reason for writing this paragraph at all was to inform us about the birth of Rivkah.

ופילגשו ושמה ראומה, “and his concubine who was called Re-umah.” The Torah relates all the details that had been reported to Avraham about his family at that time. It is possible that the reason why the Torah bothered to record all these details is to inform us about the genealogy of Nachor, to let us know that all of his family were potentially suitable marriage partners for Avraham’s family, and that concerning all of them Avraham had instructed Eliezer to search for a wife for Yitzchok when he told him “go only to my country and to the house of my father.”