The Banner Given to Those Who Fear the LORD and Abraham's Tenth Trial

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 95:7

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham" (Genesis 22:1). [It is written,] "You have given a banner (nes) to those who fear You, to be raised up (lehitnoses), because of the truth, Selah" (Psalms 60:6): trial (nisayon) after trial, greatness after greatness. What is the meaning of "You have given a banner to those who fear You"? In order to raise them up, to test them in the world. Another interpretation: to make them great like the banner of a ship. And why all this? For the sake of "the truth, Selah": so that the attribute of justice may be made beautiful in the world. For if a person should say to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, makes rich whomever He wishes, makes poor whomever He wishes, and makes king whomever He wishes, and that Abraham, when He wished, He made him rich, and when He wished, He made him king, you may answer him: Can you do what Abraham did? "Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him" (Genesis 21:5), and after all this anguish it was said to him, "Take now your son," and he did not hold back.

Themes

AbrahamDivine JusticeFaith

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