The Test and the Pre-tests

The solution to our problem may actually lie in abandoning the search for a justification for Yishmael’s expulsion. This becomes possible when we look at the story within the context of the larger picture of Avraham’s trials and specifically in comparison with Avraham’s final trial. Without such a perspective, we may miss the remarkable parallels between these two stories. In fact, once we shift our attention, we notice that the core narratives of both stories are almost identical: God asks Avraham to do away with his son, knowing the personal anguish this will cause him and yet still expecting Avraham to put his own beliefs and preferences aside – which Avraham faithfully does in carrying out his mission.