וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר הָא תָּנִינָן וַיְהִי בִּימֵי עַל צַעֲרָא אִתְּמָר, וַיְהִי אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא כְּתִיב בִּימֵי טַפְסֵי דְצַעֲרָא אִית בֵּיהּ. וַיְהִי אַחַר, בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין, וּמַאן אִיהוּ דְּבָרִים, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות ד) לא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי.
וּמַאן הֲוָה בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא דָא, וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם דְּאַתְיָא יֵצֶר הָרָע לְקַטְרְגָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם. אֶת יִצְחָק מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. דְּהָא יִצְחָק בַּר תְּלָתִין וְשֶׁבַע שְׁנִין הֲוָה וְהָא אֲבוֹי לָאו בַּר עוֹנָשָׁא דִילֵיהּ הֲוָה, דְּאִלְמָלֵא אָמַר יִצְחָק לָא בָעֵינָא לָא אִתְעֲנַשׁ אֲבוֹי עֲלֵיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וְלָא כְּתִיב נִסָּה אֶת יִצְחָק.
אֶלָּא אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַדַּאי דְּבָעֵי לְאִתְכְּלָלָא בְּדִינָא, דְּהָא אַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ דִּינָא כְּלַל מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְכְּלִיל מַיָי''א בְּאֶשָׁ''א. וְאַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה שְׁלִים עַד הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְעַטַּר לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא וּלְאַתְקָנָא לֵיהּ בְּאַתְרֵיהּ.
וְכָל יוֹמוֹי לָא הֲוָה שְׁלִים עַד הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל מַיָ''א בְּאֶשָׁ''א וְאֶשָׁ''א בְּמַיָ''א, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וְלא אֶת יִצְחָק, דְּאַזְמִין אַבְרָהָם לְאִתְכְּלָלָא בְּדִינָא, וְכַד עָבִיד דָּא, עָאל (קלג ב) אֶשָׁ''א בְּמַיָ''א וְאִשְׁתְּלִים דָּא עִם דָּא. וְדָא עָבִיד דִּינָא לְאִתְכְּלָלָא דָּא בְּדָא. וּכְדֵין יֵצֶר הָרָע אֲתָא לְקַטְרְגָא עֲלֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים כְּדְקָא יְאוּת עַד דְּיַעֲבִיד דִּינָא בְּיִצְחָק. דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים אִיהוּ וְאָתָא לְקַטְרְגָא.
וְתָא חֲזֵי רָזָא דְמִלָּה, אַף עַל גַּב דְּקָאֲמָרָן דְּאַבְרָהָם כְּתִיב וְלָא יִצְחָק, יִצְחָק נָמֵי אִתְכְּלִיל בֵּיהּ בְּהַאי קְרָא, רָזָא דִכְתִיב וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם. נִסָּה לְאַבְרָהָם לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא אֶת אַבְרָהָם אֶת דַּיְיקָא וְדָא יִצְחָק. דְּהָא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא בִּגְבוּרָ''ה תַּתָּאָה שַׁרְיָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַקַּד וְאִזְדַּמַּן בְּדִינָא עַל יְדָא דְּאַבְרָהָם כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, כְּדֵין אִתְעַטַּר בְּאַתְרֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ אֶשָׁ''א בְּמַיָ''א וּסְלִיקוּ לְעֵילָא, וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתַּכַּח מַחְלוֹקֶת כְּדְקָא יְאוּת מַיָא בְּאֶשָׁא.
מַאן (עבד) חָמָא אַבָּא רַחֲמָנָא דְּאִתְעֲבִיד אַכְזָר. אֶלָּא בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא מַחְלוֹקֶת מַיָא בְּאֶשָׁא וּלְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּאַתְרַייהוּ (ד''א ל''ג כדקא יאות), עַד דְּאָתָא יַעֲקֹב וְאִתְתַּקַּן כֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת וְאִתְעֲבִידוּ תְּלָתָא אַבָּהָן שְׁלֵמִין וְאִתְתַּקָנוּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי:
It came to pass, after these things (devarim) (vayhi). Rabbi Shim'on said, "We have learned that the expression "It came to pass in the days of " is steeped in sorrow, while the word "it came to pass (vayhi)," even without "in the days of" is bounded by sorrow. It came to pass after the lowest of all upper rungs. Who is that? Devarim, as is said: I am not a man of devarim, words (Exodus 4:10). Who came after this rung? Elohim tested Abraham, for the evil impulse came to accuse in the presence of the blessed Holy One. "Here we should contemplate: Elohim tested Abraham. The verse should read: tested Isaac, since Isaac was already 37 years old and his father was no longer responsible for him. If Isaac had said, "I refuse," his father would not have been punished. So why is it written Elohim tested Abraham, and not Elohim tested Isaac?
But Abraham, precisely! For he had to be encompassed by judgment, since previously Abraham had contained no judgment at all. Now water was embraced by fire. Abraham had been incomplete until now, when he was crowned to execute judgment, arraying it in its realm. His whole life long he had been incomplete until now when water was completed by fire, fire by water. So, Elohim tested Abraham--not Isaac---calling him to be embraced by judgment. When he did so, fire entered water, become complete. One was judged, one executed judgment-encompassing one another. Therefore the evil impulse came to accuse Abraham, who was incomplete until he executed judgment upon Isaac. For the evil impulse appears after devarim, coming to accuse.
Come and see the mystery of the word: Although we have said that Abraham is written, not Isaac, Isaac is encompassed by this verse through the mysterious wording: Elohim tested 'et' Abraham. It is not written tested לאַבְרָהָם leAvraham, Abraham, but rather: tested et Abraham--et, precisely! This is Isaac, for at that time he dwelled in low power. As soon as he was bound on the altar, initiated into judgment fittingly by Abraham, he was crowned in his realm alongside Abraham--fire and water encompassing one another, ascending. Then division became apparent: water versus fire. Who would have created a compassionate father who turn cruel? It was only so that division would manifest: water versus fire, crowned in their realm until Jacob appeared and everything harmonized--triad of patriarchs, completed, above and below arrayed. The Zohar, translation and commentary by Daniel C. Matt (vol. II, pp. 192-195.