Parashas Chayei Sarah: The Test No One Talks About

By Rav Shimon Kronenberg,

Founder & Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Yesodei Yisrael

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Chazal teach us that Avraham Avinu faced ten great tests throughout his lifetime - עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִתְנַסָּה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ וְעָמַד בְּכֻלָּם. And through them, he became the father of our nation. But among all those tests, the meforshim debate: which one was truly the hardest?

Most of us would instinctively say the Akeidah. How could anything compare to being asked to bring his beloved son Yitzchak as a korban? 

The Ramban and others indeed describe the Akeidah as the climax of Avraham’s life of nisyonos. But not everyone agrees.

The Abarbanel points out that perhaps an even harder test came much earlier when Hashem told Avraham, “לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ…” (בראשית י״ב:א), to leave behind his home, his family, and everything he had ever known, and set out to an unknown land. That, too, demanded enormous trust in Hashem.

There’s a third, lesser-known opinion that at first seems surprising. Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer (פרק ל״ו) teaches that Avraham’s greatest test wasn’t the Akeidah or Lech Lecha. Rather, it was when he bought the Me’aras HaMachpelah to be the burial cave for Sarah.

At first, this seems hard to understand. Buying a piece of land? How could a simple real estate deal possibly compare to the Akeidah?

Let’s take a moment to understand this.

The Torah tells us, “וַיָּבֹא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ.” (בראשית כ״ג:ב) — Avraham came to mourn and weep for Sarah. Sarah Imeinu, his partner in everything, the one who stood by him through every challenge, was gone. Avraham was heartbroken.

And yet, right after this, the Torah says, “וַיָּקָם אַבְרָהָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי מֵתוֹ”. Avraham stood up from beside her. Broken but determined, and went to find a proper resting place for his beloved wife.

He turns to Ephron and the people of Cheis. At first they speak to Avraham with great esteem “נְשִׂיא אֱלֹקים אַתָּה בְּתוֹכֵנוּ” (כ״ג:ו) calling him a prince of God. But soon, the words prove to be empty. Ephron first offers the field as a “gift,” and then demands an outrageous price — “אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף” (כ״ג:ט״ו).

Chazal say Ephron epitomizes one who talks a big game but fails to back it up  דיבר הרבה ועשה מעט (בראשית רבה נח:ז). In other words, he was taking advantage of Avraham at his most vulnerable moment.

Now imagine Avraham’s pain. He’s in mourning. He’s grieving. And someone is exploiting him, turning his tragedy into a business deal. At that moment, many of us might have lost our temper. It would have been understandable! Yet what does Avraham do?

“וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָהָם אֶל עֶפְרוֹן, וַיִּשְׁקֹל לְעֶפְרוֹן אֶת הַכֶּסֶף.” (כ״ג:ט״ז) “

And Avraham listened to Ephron, and he weighed out the silver.”

Avraham pays the full price, calmly, respectfully, and with dignity. This, say Chazal, was Avraham’s greatest test which he passes with flying colors. The Akeidah was a test of faith in Hashem. But Me’aras HaMachpelah was a test of composure. Could Avraham remain kind, patient, and respectful even when he had every right not to be?That’s a nisayon we can all relate to. 

Sometimes, Hashem doesn’t test us with grand, heroic moments. He tests us in the little ones. When someone speaks sharply to us. When we’re under pressure and tempted to snap. When life feels unfair and we want to let our emotions run wild.

Avraham’s greatness wasn’t just in personal sacrifice or his willingness to leave his comfort zone, it was in how he lived and carried himself in ordinary, difficult moments. He showed that avodas Hashem is very much about how we speak, how we treat others, and how we respond when life is hardest.

As Pirkei Avos says so simply and powerfully:

“אֵיזֶהוּ גִּבּוֹר? הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ.” (ד:א)

 “Who is strong? The one who conquers his emotions.”

We all have our “Ephron moments.” But when we meet them with calm, patience, and derech eretz, we walk in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu himself.

Rav Shimon Kronenberg is the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Yesodei Yisrael. He brings boundless passion and vision to the yeshiva’s mission, drawing on years of experience as a beloved rebbe, mentor, and educational leader in both formal and informal settings in the U.S. and Israel. Rav Kronenberg lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife, Talia (Yudin), and their children.

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