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This week’s parsha features descriptions of many of the ten tests that Avraham was given by Hashem. The idea that there were ten tests is formally introduced in Pirkei Avot. Interestingly though, the Mishna does not tell us explicitly what the ten tests were. Many commentators have tried to compile a list of the tests and have used various sources both from pshat and midrash to support their lists.

There are some notable differences between the lists, for example, of the Rambam and Bartenura. Rambam does not include the famous story of Avraham being thrown into the furnace, whereas Bartenura does. This particular story does not appear in pshat and is based on midrash and may explain why Rambam chose to leave it out of his list. (Interestingly, the only test that is actually described by the Torah as Hashem testing Avraham is Akeidat Yitzchak. The other tests are events that happen in the narrative or in the midrash but are not labelled as a test)

In our Parsha, Avraham is promised that he will be a father, and in turn become the father of a great nation. This is obviously confusing to Avraham. He’s an elderly man, married to an elderly woman, and would think that this would be impossible. The test here for Avraham was to see how he would respond to a promise he thought could not be met. Instead of rejecting this notion and thinking it an impossibility, Avraham retains faith in Hashem. But he also, crucially, takes matters into his own hands and marries Hagar in an attempt to bring forth the promised progeny.

Rambam lists Avraham’s marriage to Hagar as one of his tests. At the time, having two wives was a totally acceptable practice, so on the surface it does not seem to have been such a test. The test for Avraham was how he would react to the promise of Hashem. By taking active steps to ensure that Hashem’s promise would be fulfilled, Avraham passed this test. We can learn from Avraham, that in order to be successful in our endeavors, it is not enough to rely on faith in Hashem, but we also have to push ourselves and to work our hardest to ensure that our success comes to fruition. Shabbat Shalom.