Parshas Vayeira

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zev Yehuda ben R' Shmuel Mordechai, R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben R' Zev Yehudah

 In Perek chaf beis posuk vav it says, "Vayikach Avraham es atzei ha'olah vayasem al Yitzchakbno vayikach b'yado es ha'eish v'es hama'acheles vayeilchu shneihem yachdav."  "And Avraham took the wood for the offering, and placed it on Yitzchak his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife and the two of them went together."

 The Medrash Rabah says that the Yetzer Harah met Avraham on the way and tried reasoning with him. "Avraham lets assume you do pass this test, do you think you will be able to stand up to the next one?"

 Rav Issac Sher ztl, in his Hakdamah to the sfefer Cheshbon Hanefesh, writes that it is crucial for man to understand the tactic's the Yetzer harah uses in order to guard oneself against him.  One of his tactic's is to tell us that we will never be a tzadik gamar so why bother going out of our way to fulfill the mitzvah at hand.  This was the Yetzer Harah's taayna to Avraham, you cant go on passing every test, eventually you have to fail one so why bother?  The Rosh Yeshivah ztl asks, what type of taayna is that?  If Avraham would fulfill the nisayon of the akeida, he would be considered a tremendous tzaddik, even if somewhere down the road he failed an even harder nisayon.  Why would not being able to pass everything cause Avraham to give up now?  He explains that each and every one of his has a desire to reach "shleimus".  We want to be complete, and being unable to reach a level of completion causes us alot of pain.  Realizing that we will never be able to reach total shleimus can lead to depression and "yiush" causing us to totally give up on everything.  Not being able to be the best is one of the biggest reasons why people give up before they even start.  "Why bother working on shiur ill never get it fully?  Why bother exercising ill never be super buff?  Why should I try making the nba ill never be Jordan."  But you'll get most of shiur!  You'll be in extremely good shape!  You could be an all-star!  We don't want to be good, we want to be the best.  The Yetzer Harah was reminding Avraham that no matter how long he goes passing nisyonos, he will eventually reach one that will be too difficult and he will not be able to pass it.  He was hoping to work with the psychology of each and every person to hold Avraham back.  You'll never reach shleimus give up!  The Yetzer Hara felt that even when Avraham was ready to sacrifice his beloved son, this idea of never reaching shleimus would stop him in his tracks.  We see the koach that the desire for shleimus has on us.  If we can come to terms with the fact that we are only human and can not reach total shleimus but can still be great and do great things we can be better prepared for the Yetzer Hara next time he comes knocking. Good Shabbos