Nesayon of Avraham according to the Ramban עשרה נסיונות נתנסה אברהם אבינו

The Ramban in Parshas Lech Lecha perek 12 pasuk 10 say a fascinating thing.

דע כי אברהם אבינו חטא חטא גדול בשגגה שהביא אשתו הצדקת במכשול עוון מפני פחדו פן יהרגוהו, והיה לו לבטוח בשם שיציל אותו ואת אשתו ואת כל אשר לו, כי יש באלוהים כוח לעזור ולהציל. גם יציאתו מן הארץ, שנצטווה עליה בתחילה, מפני הרעב, עוון אשר חטא, כי האלוהים ברעב יפדנו ממות. ועל המעשה הזה נגזר על זרעו הגלות בארץ מצרים ביד פרעה. במקום המשפט שמה הרשע והחטא

This Ramban is very hard to understand. (So difficult that I've hear that Rabbi Moshe Feinstein said that that it was written by a תלמיד טועה.

The Mishna in Avos perek 5 mishna 3 states:
עשרה נסיונות נתנסה אברהם אבינו

There are a few versions of what the nesyonos were; (Rashi/Pirkei Dirabi Eliezer, Rambam, Bartenura, Rabenu Yona) One of the constants is that they all consider the famine in the land of Canaan and Sara being taken by Phaaroh as two of the nesyonos.

How can it be considered that Avraham passed this test if, according to the Ramban, Avraham sinned by leaving the land of Canaan because of the famine? Furthermore, it seems from the Ramban that Avraham didn't do too good of a job regarding the nesoyon of Sarah Bevais Pharoh? What was the nesoyon and how did Avraham pass according to the Ramban?

The tests were as follows (Rambam):

1. Lech Lecha
2. The famine in the Land of Canaan
3. Sara being taken away  to Pharoh's palace
4. The war of the 5 kings vs the 4 kings
5.  Hagar being taken as a wife
6. Bris Milah
7. Sarah taken away by Avimelech
8. Having to chase Hagar away
9. Having to chase away Yishmael
10. Akedas Yitzchak

Others consider:
- Being thrown into the Kivshan Ha'esh by Nimrod
-Bris Bein Habsarim
-Being chased away by Nimrod


It seems that there is no constant theme in all these nisyonos. Some of them were commandments, some were simply things that happened to him, some were miracles. What is a nisayon?

Ramban  Parshas Yisro Shemos 20 pasuk 17 on the pasuk
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר משֶׁ֣ה אֶל־הָעָם֘ אַל־תִּירָ֒אוּ֒ כִּ֗י לְבַֽעֲבוּר֙ נַסּ֣וֹת אֶתְכֶ֔ם בָּ֖א הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וּבַֽעֲב֗וּר תִּֽהְיֶ֧ה יִרְאָת֛וֹ עַל־פְּנֵיכֶ֖ם לְבִלְתִּ֥י תֶֽחֱטָֽאוּ:

The Ramban brings three different definitions for the word  Nisayon (the root is נסה) in this context.

1. Rashi says its rooted in the word נַסּ֣ the word would imply to raise up. This would mean to show the world how great you are by putting a Tzadik through a Nesayon and showing the world how he succeeds and doesn't succumb he is making a Kiddush Hashem and raising the awarenss of God in the world.

2. He brings another pshat, this would be the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchaim's pshat also that it is rooted in the word נסיונ as in "try" or to get used to. I have given you the Torah so that you should get used to serving me says God. The Ramban says it means הרגל

3. The Ramban's final pshat is that it is as one would assume to mean "Test". The Ramban alludes to the pasuk in parshas Vayera where it says וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים נִסָּ֖ה אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֑ם. The Ramban on that pasuk states as follows:

ענין הנסיון הוא לדעתי, בעבור היות מעשה האדם רשות מוחלטת בידו, אם ירצה יעשה ואם לא ירצה לא יעשה, יקרא "נסיון" מצד המנוסה, אבל המנסה יתברך יצווה בו להוציא הדבר מן הכח אל הפועל, להיות לו שכר מעשה טוב לא שכר לב טוב בלבד.
ודע כי השם צדיק יבחן (תהלים יא ה), כשהוא יודע בצדיק שיעשה רצונו וחפץ להצדיקו יצווה אותו בנסיון, ולא יבחן את הרשעים אשר לא ישמעו. והנה כל הנסיונות שבתורה לטובת המנוסה

It almost sounds like a scientist testing out his theory. Even thought the scientist knows that theoretically his logic is sound and his experiment will work he still wants to act in out in practice. The Ramban takes it a step further and says that it is to give the Tzadik Schar so that he should get a reward for his action which would be a greater reward than a reward for his intent. If it wasn't borne out in practice then the reward would be just for intent to do the right thing therefore God allows the Tzadik to actually do the right thing and gets greater reward. 

According to the Ramban Hashem was testing Avraham. Avraham was the first person in his generation, the only person in his generation, to recognize God. He logically came to the conclusion that God exists. Avraham then acted upon his belief and would not let anything shake his belief in God until God finally came to Avraham and revealed himself. Even after God revealed himself Avraham had to continue working on his full belief in God and in following God's commandments and allowing himself to be fully immersed in God's existence. Was he the only God? If God promised would he keep his promise? Was God all powerful? Were there other forces? These are all questions that Avraham answered logically and held his belief based on the logic that Avraham originally reached. 

The summation of Avraham's behaviour towards God is in the perek 17 pasuk 1 

הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶֽהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים

God then tested Avraham if anything would sway him from this belief. First by telling him to uproot himself from his homeland and move to a faraway land. Avraham followed without asking questions. As soon as Avraham got there a famine occured. Now Avraham had to move away. Would Avraham ask himself if he should be listening to God if he can't seem to protect him from a famine after he sends him to that land. Avraham also had a decision to make should he stay there in the land of Canaan or leave because of the famine. That decision would have no bearing on the fact that Avraham's belief in God was not swayed. Avraham left to go to another land so as not to die of starvation. One might say that it shows a stronger belief and he actually passed the test with even better marks in that he had to leave and wasn't swayed in his belief. Yes, the Ramban says that he sinned because he should have stayed in the Land of Canaan and had more faith that God would provide for him but that wasn't in any way an indication that he had less of a belief in his thesis that God existed and he must listen to God's command. 

With his wife Sara it was the same thing. He was moved around by God. He did everything that God told him to do. The results did not look good. That did not sway him in any way shape for form from continuing with an unwavering belief. Maybe he sinned in his actions and should have not allowed Pharoh to take his wife. That was a technical mistake according to the Ramban but wasn't a fundamental flaw in his approach to believing in God. Actually, it strengthens the argument that he withstood the test. In spite of things seemingly not working out Avraham stood firm in his belief. 

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There is an interesting Medrash Raba on Parshas Noach Chapter 34 2 which states the following:

[ה' מנסה את הצדיק]

(שם יא): ה' צדיק יבחן ורשע ואוהב חמס שנאה נפשו
אמר רבי יונתן: היוצר הזה אינו בודק קנקנים מרועעים, שאינו מקיש עליהם אחת עד שהיא פוקעת.
ומה הוא בודק?
קנקנים יפים, שאפי' הוא מקיש עליו כמה פעמים, אינו נשבר.
כך, אין הקב"ה מנסה אלא את הצדיקים.

אמר ר' יוסי: הפשתני הזה בשעה שהוא יודע שהפשתן שלו יפה, כל שהוא כותשה היא משתבחת, וכל שהוא מקיש עליה היא משתמנת, ובשעה שהוא יודע שפשתנו רעה, אינו מספיק להקיש עליה, עד שהיא פוקעת.
כך, אין הקדוש ברוך הוא מנסה אלא את הצדיקים, שנאמר: ה' צדיק יבחן.

רבי אליעזר אמר: לבעל הבית שהיו לו ב' פרות, אחת כחה יפה ואחת כחה רע.
על מי הוא נותן העול לא על אותה שכחה יפה?!
כך, אין הקב"ה מנסה אלא הצדיק, שנאמר: ה' צדיק יבחן.

The Medrash brings three different parables for the Nesayon of a Tzadik. They each have a different twist. The first is the glassmaker that only pounds on the strong glass bottles so too does God only test the Tzadik. This would align with Rashi's pshat in Nisayon that God is proud to show the world how strong the Tzadik is that he is so strong that nothing shakes his belief. 

The second example is the flax maker who pounds on his flax to make it stronger. The better flax gets stronger with pounding while the weaker flax can't be pounded because it couldn't withstand a pounding. This would possibly align with the Rambam's pshat of getting used to.. To make the Tzadik stronger so he can grow God gives him a Nisayon which strengthens him this helps the Tzadik become better and better as he passes harder and harder tests and grows closer to God.  

The third example is the two oxen, one strong and one weak, the owner only uses the stronger oxen to plough the field because the weaker one would not be able to pull the plowshare. This would seemingly align with the final Ramban's pshat that Nisayon is to take the Tzadiks belief from the theoretical to the practical and allows him to have a greater reward. The farmer knows that the stronger ox can pull the plowshare and not the weaker one but when he wants to actually do it he takes the stronger one because the weaker one would not be able to do it. God will not put a person in a situation where he knows he will fail. 

Maybe the ten Nisyonos are a mix of the three different types of Nisyonos being discussed here. Some were to show Avraham's resolve, some were to strengthen Avraham, and some were to allow him to take his theoretical belief and live it in real life to allow him to garner greater reward. That is why the Nisyonos are not consistent. Some were simply life hardships that happened to Avraham while trying to keep God's commands, some were showing Avraham following God's commandments and some were miracles that happened to Avraham while keeping God's commandments.

Another interesting point regarding Nesayon we see in the Torah that ultimately when God promises something to someone he will put that person in a situation where that person might have a nisayon in which the choice seems counterproductive. Sometimes it might seem that staying the course and following Gods will will not allow that person to fulfill his dream. For example Yehuda was promised to be the King of Yisrael forever. Yehuda knew he was in line for his descendants to  be the Kings of Yisrael. However, when the story of Tamar took place Yehuda stood at a crossroads. He could admit that the staff and ring were his and probably lose his kingdom forever or he could deny it and retain the mantle of progenitor of the kings of Israel. Yehuda ultimately decided to do the right thing and admit. The Torah tells us that not only did he not lose his Kingdomship by admitting to Tamar but that is exactly what earned him the kingdom forever.

Yosef is another example. He was all geared up to be the next king of Egypt. He was waiting for his dreams to become reality. The last thing he needed was to be thrown into a dark prison pit. Not allowing his boss's wife to have her way with him would blow up his whole future. He was going to be the savior of Bnei Yaakov. He was going to be a historical figure. Shouldn't he consider those issues when making a decision not to do a small sin? The truth of the matter is that that was his Nisayon. Because he was willing to give up on his whole future so as not to sin with Potephar's wife Yosef was rewarded with all his dreams and aspirations. We don't see the whole picture. Our job is to do what we have to do and let God figure out how to make what is supposed to happen happen. In these cases things were exactly the opposite of what they seemed. What one thinks is jeopardizing his future is in fact solidifying his future.

Avraham Aveinu at the Akeida had the exact same dilemma. Avraham's future was Yitzchak. "Ki biYitzchak Yikarei Lecha Zera" Inheriting Eretz Yisrael, creating Kneset Yisrael, and ultimately receiving the Torah, all the promises that God made to hime were dependent on Yitzchak. Now God is asking Avraham to sacrifice his son Yitzchak. Poof, his whole future disappears. Avraham doesnt ask questions and does it anyway. The end result is that all the promises were fulfilled because Avraham went and performed the Akeida without taking all that into consideration.

Rabbi Akiva was willing to sacrifice his lifetime goal of dying Al kiddush Hashem so he could use water to wash. That was his Nisayon. He overcame the nisayon and was zocheh to die al kiddush hashem.

Our job, if we learn one thing from Avraham Aveinu is:

הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶֽהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים

Let God figure out the consequences