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Why is Lech Lecha considered a test when Hashem (ה׳) promises it's for Avrohom's benefit? The nisayon wasn't to obey despite personal gain—it was to take responsibility for achieving those results. Unlike a worker who merely follows orders, Avrohom had to become a ba'al achrayus, creating success rather than just performing tasks. This defines the role of an av and requires the self-awareness that only limud haTorah provides.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a fundamental question about the first of Avrohom's ten tests: Why is Lech Lecha considered a nisayon when Hashem (ה׳) explicitly tells Avrohom it's for his own benefit? The shiur rejects the common interpretation that the test was to obey Hashem's command rather than pursue personal benefit, arguing that the pesukim don't support this reading—Hashem didn't command "go" separately from promising rewards; He commanded "go for your benefit." The true test, Rabbi Zweig argues, was far more demanding: Avrohom had to go not merely to follow orders but to take responsibility for achieving results. The distinction parallels that between a worker and a manager. A worker simply performs tasks and gets paid regardless of outcomes; a ba'alabos (business owner) must produce results and bears full responsibility for success or failure. Most people desperately avoid such responsibility, preferring the security of defined tasks over the terror of being accountable for outcomes.
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Bereishis 12:1-5
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