By Rabbi Elimelech Biderman

The Maharal writes that the purpose of tests isn’t to let Hashem know where we are holding in our devotion and in our avodas Hashem because Hashem knows this information even before we are tested.

The purpose of the tests is to help us bring forth our potential.

The potential was there beforehand. Tests bring out the potential into action, and that develops one’s personality and spiritual growth. The Ramban writes that there were other tzaddikim in Avraham Avinu’s era who kept the Torah. Still, they didn’t reach Avraham Avinu’s level because they didn’t pass ten nisyonos as Avraham did.

There was a person who suffered from many challenges in his life, and he told his rebbe that he didn’t want the tests. His rebbe told him, “Take three pots filled with water. Cook a potato in one, a raw egg in the second, and put coffee, sugar, and milk in the third.”

An hour later, the rebbe showed him that the raw egg became hard, the hard potato became soft, and the third pot had sweet coffee. The rebbe explained, “The boiling water represents life’s tests. The tests toughen the soft people, soften the tough people, and it can make someone sweet like sweetened coffee.”

This is because people grow from the hardships that they overcome.

The Gemara (Yoma 69:, based on Nechemya h 9) teaches how the chachamim nullified the yetzer hara for avodah zorah. The community fasted for three days and for three nights, and the yetzer hara came out of the Kodesh HaKedashim (Holy of Holies), appearing like a lion of fire. Zecharyah HaNavi told them, “This is the yetzer hara for avodah zorah!” and they captured it. But we wonder, why did the yetzer hara come out of the Kodesh HaKedashim? Why was the yetzer hara in the holiest place in the world?

The answer is, the yetzer hara elevates people to the highest levels – to the Kodesh HaKedashim. The challenges that the yetzer hara poses enable us to grow higher and higher.

Avraham’s first test is Lech Lecha to leave his father’s home to go to Eretz Canaan. The tenth test is that Avraham should go to the akeidah. Both tests state Lech Lecha. The Midrash (Bereishis Rabba 39:9) states, “It says twice Lech Lecha, and we don’t know which is more beloved, the second or the first?”

The Midrash concludes that the second Lech Lecha, of the akeidah, was a greater test, and thus, more beloved to Hashem. But we wonder, isn’t it obvious that the tenth test was more difficult? Which test is greater than offering one’s own child as a korban?

Perhaps the answer is that after Avraham passed many tests, it was easier for him to pass another one. Therefore, the first test of leaving his father’s home could potentially be the hardest test. Nevertheless, the Midrash concludes that the test of the Akeidah was a harder test.

We learn zerizus from Avraham Avinu. By the akeidah, it states (22:3) “Avraham awoke early in the morning.” Also, when Avraham davened for Sedom, it states (19:27) “Avraham awoke early in the morning.” We should do the same. We should get into the mode of serving Hashem early in the morning, and then we will be able to accomplish a lot during the day. Hashem says (Shemos 19:4), “I carried you on eagle wings…” An eagle carries her children on her wings. As the eagle flies high in the sky, the children can look down and see the world below. But how do the birds climb up onto the eagle’s wings? The young birds have to hop on. The mother eagle doesn’t help them. This hints to us that Hashem can raise us to very high levels, but we must take the first step.