When tempted, both Jesus and Abraham vanquished their tempter with words of Torah…
The Mishnah states: “With ten temptations was Abraham our father tempted, and he stood steadfast in them all, to show how great was the love of Abraham our father” (Avot 5:3; trans. Danby).
Abraham’s tenth and final temptation was amazingly similar to Jesus’ temptation (Mt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-13). I assume that many other scholars have noticed this striking literary parallel to Jesus’ trial in the wilderness, for it truly is an important parallel.[1]
The Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 89b, describes Abraham’s tenth temptation within the context of commentary on Genesis 22:1, “After these things, God tested Abraham…” The test, trial or temptation — all the same word in Hebrew — was God’s command that Abraham take his only son Isaac to the land of Moriah and “offer him there as a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:2). Here is how the Talmud relates the first stage of this final temptation:
On the way [to the land of Moriah] Satan came towards him [Abraham] and said to him, “If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved?…Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the fe
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