Another matter: “Remember Abraham” – Rabbi Avin said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: This is analogous to a king whose friend deposited ten gems with him. His friend died and left one daughter. The king stood and took her as a wife, rendered her a noblewoman, gave her a necklace with ten gems, and placed it around her neck. Sometime later, she lost the necklace, and the king began seeking to expel her.
He said: I will banish her from my house; I will expel her from being with me. Her attendant entered before the king and was placating him, but the king was not listening to him; rather, he was saying: I will banish her from being with me. He said to him: ‘Why, my lord the king?’ He said: ‘Because I gave her ten gems, and she lost them.’
He said: ‘As you live, my master the king, nevertheless, you must be placated and reconciled to her.’ The king would not listen to him. When the attendant saw what he sought to do to her, and that he was not being reconciled, but rather, he was vehemently saying ‘I will banish her,’ he said to him: ‘For ten gems that she lost, you seek to expel her? Do you not know that I know that her father deposited ten gems with you?
Ten are exchanged for ten.’ So too, when Israel performed that act, God was angry at them. The Holy One blessed be He began saying: “Let Me be, and I will destroy them” (Deuteronomy 9:14). Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, why are You angry at Israel?’
He said: ‘Because they violated the Ten Commandments.’ He said to Him: ‘They have a way to repay the debt.’ He said to him: ‘From where?’ He said: ‘Remember that You tested Abraham with ten ordeals; let ten be exchanged for ten.’ That is, “remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.”