Passing Life’s Tests

Challenges you to go beneath the brief, shocking story and ask: who is the tester, who is the tested and what motivates the test?

Among stories so terrible they rend our hearts, so profound they touch the depths of our souls, and so exalted they reach to heaven, none is more poignant than the Bible story of Abraham's sacrifice of his son, Isaac. A story revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, and turned over and over by great secular thinkers searching for meaning, this gripping tale shocks us into complete attention, then takes us—in nineteen short verses—on a roller coaster ride of emotion, challenge and hope.

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, known widely for making the Hebrew Bible relevant to our lives, draws on generations of Jewish sages, philosophers and scholars to explore this ancient story, known as the binding of Isaac or the test of Abraham. He invites us to use this powerful tale as a tool for our own soul wrestling, to transcend its words to confront our own existential sacrifices and our ability to face—and surmount—life’s tests. By applying this tale’s lessons to everyday events, Artson compels us to pay closer attention to our lives and, through our priorities, responsibilities, mindfulness and faith, ask ourselves if we are passing our own tests.

Challenges you to go beneath the brief, shocking story and ask: who is the tester, who is the tested and what motivates the test?

Among stories so terrible they rend our hearts, so profound they touch the depths of our souls, and so exalted they reach to heaven, none is more poignant than the Bible story of Abraham's sacrifice of his son, Isaac. A story revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, and turned over and over by great secular thinkers searching for meaning, this gripping tale shocks us into complete attention, then takes us—in nineteen short verses—on a roller coaster ride of emotion, challenge and hope.

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, known widely for making the Hebrew Bible relevant to our lives, draws on generations of Jewish sages, philosophers and scholars to explore this ancient story, known as the binding of Isaac or the test of Abraham. He invites us to use this powerful tale as a tool for our own soul wrestling, to transcend its words to confront our own existential sacrifices and our ability to face—and surmount—life’s tests. By applying this tale’s lessons to everyday events, Artson compels us to pay closer attention to our lives and, through our priorities, responsibilities, mindfulness and faith, ask ourselves if we are passing our own tests.

Preface: Why Read This Book? I
ntroduction: Seeing Ourselves in the Biblical Mirror xiii
PART ONE: Exploring the Depths Translation and Commentary of Genesis Translation Commentary
PART TWO: Deepening Our Encounters
Reflections on Life's Tests in Genesis
Mortality: What You Learn When You're Under the Knife
Paradox: The Enduring Covenant
Priorities: Balancing Spontaneity and Foresight
Solidarity: Of Love and Loyalties
Faith, Fear, and Faithfulness: Can Faith Save?
People above Principles: And God Tested Sarah
Walking the Walk: Tested by Our Deeds
Integrity: Hearing the Voice of God
Resilience: We Can Learn from Our Trials
Responsibility: What We Sacrifice for Our Parents
Joy: Is It Okay to Love Life?
Mindfulness: Of Children and the Spiritual Life
Suffering: A New Jewish Response
Conclusion: Belief—Know Before Whom You Stand Acknowledgments Notes Glossary Bibliography