Satan Confronts Abraham on the Road to the Binding

"And He said, 'Take, please, your son.'" The word "please" is nothing other than a term of request. To what may the matter be compared? To a king of flesh and blood against whom many wars arose, and he had a single warrior who would defeat them all. In time a fierce war arose against him. He said to him, "I beg of you, stand for me in this war, so that the earlier battles not be said to have had no substance." So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, "I have tested you with many trials and you withstood them all. I beg of you, stand for Me in this trial, so that it not be said that the earlier ones had no substance." "Take, please, your son." "I have two sons," and so forth. Satan met him on the way. He said to him, "Old man, where are you going?" "Is it not to slaughter your son?" Immediately he opened with, "If one ventures a word to you, will you be wearied? Behold, you have instructed many... your words have raised up him who was stumbling... but now it has come upon you and you are wearied" (Job 4:2-5). He said to him, "I will walk in my integrity" (Psalms 26:11). He said to him, "Is not your fear of God your folly?" (Job 4:6). He said to him, "Remember, now: who that was innocent ever perished?" (Job 4:7). When he saw that he would not listen to him, he said to him, "Now a word was stolen to me" (Job 4:12): thus I heard from behind the heavenly curtain that the lamb is for the burnt offering, and not Isaac for the burnt offering. He said to him, "Such is the punishment of a liar: that even when he speaks the truth, no one listens to him."