Vayera

Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test. He said to him, “Abraham,” and he answered, “Here I am.”

22:1

This section constitutes the raison d’etre of Israel in the sight of their Father in Heaven. It forms on this account, a familiar part of our daily devotions and accordingly warrants a deeper and more painstaking study than others…This trial was not a test evolved by God to find out what He did not know, but God made a demonstration…as an example and banner to all the peoples for them to follow…

Abravanel (15^th Century)

The nature of this trial calls for explanation, since there is no doubt that the Almighty does not try a person in order to prove to himself whether he is capable of withstanding the trial since God is all knowing and is in no doubt about anything.

Rabbenu Nissim (14^th Century)

For Abraham did not hasten to kill Isaac out of fear that God might slay him or make him poor, but solely because it is man’s duty to love and to fear God, even without hope of reward or fear of punishment. The angel, therefore, says to him, “For now I know…” that is, from this action, for which you deserve to truly called a God fearing man, all people shall learn how far we must go in the fear of God.

Maimonides (12^th Century)

(In this case) the “test” was not to determine whether Abraham was complete in relation to God. (This test) was to test whether he would remain righteous in those matters that transcend what is natural to flesh…The word “tested” means that God “only” tested. It was never intended as a command to be carried through…And do not ask, ‘What purpose does the problem serve, in this regard, considering that the Lord knows everything? – as that is no question.’…We do not know how God knows, just as we do not know God’s essence or intrinsic nature – for His knowledge is his essence…

Malbim (19^th Century)

Therefore, Abraham had the trial of the binding of Isaac so that he should begin to evaluate himself and to evaluate all the preceding trials. On this trial depended all the others and he might have lost all of them, God forbid…But when he saw that it lay in his power to deliver everything to God, then he understood that in everything that he had undergone till now he had done the will of God.

Ishbitzer Rebbe (19^th Century)

How could God call on Abraham to perform something that “never entered his thought” and that he really never wanted him to do? It is possible that God wanted to test how far Abraham understood the true relationship between humans and God…Was Abraham expected, as he did in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, to stand up and oppose the order, to question its justification. (If so) He did not do that. Abraham failed the test this time!

Pinchas Peli (2oth Century)