According to the Talmud
(Avos 5:3), Abraham was tested ten times and he passed all of the tests. The
purpose of these tests was to "to demonstrate how great was the love of
Abraham our Father" for he never questioned God's judgment.
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| Maimonides |
In his commentary on the Mishna, Maimonides lists the ten tests, all of which are clearly stated in
the Torah:
- The command for
Abraham to leave his home and live in a strange land. (12:1)
- The famine that
occurred in the
- The violence of
the Egyptians when they abducted Sarah. (12:14-20)
- The war with the
four kings. (14)
- Marrying Hagar
after giving up hope that Sarah would have children. (16:1-2)
- The commandment of
circumcision in his old age. (17:1)
- The violence of
the king of Gerar who also abducted Sarah. (20)
- Sending away Hagar
after she had borne him a child. (21)
- The difficult
commandment to send away his own son, Yishmael. (21)
- The binding of
Isaac. (22)
There are several other opinions on the exact numeration
of the ten tests. Many of these alternate lists include incidents that are not written explicitly
in the Torah but are only known from midrashim (such as Abraham being
thrown into the furnace in Ur Kasdim).
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