חסידות אויף בראשית 12:10

Genesis 6,9.‎ “The Lord said to Avram: ‘go for ‎yourself,’ etc.” Many commentators ask why Avram endangered ‎Sarai by taking her with him to Egypt, seeing that G’d had not ‎given any instruction for either him or his wife to go to Egypt? ‎The answer may be in the words: ‎אל הארץ אשר אראך‎, “to the land ‎that I will show you.” By being vague about Avram’s destination, ‎and not naming the country, G’d may have hinted that Avram ‎should move to any country which circumstances would indicate ‎as a suitable destination for him. Hence, when he came to Eretz ‎Yisrael and shortly thereafter a famine struck that land, he ‎reasoned that it was time for him to move further south, to ‎Egypt where there was no famine. This is the meaning of 12,10 ‎ויהי רעב בארץ וירד אברם מצרימה כי כבד הרעב בארץ‎, “It was that when ‎a famine broke out in the land, Avram descended to Egypt as the ‎famine in the land was severe.” He took the outbreak of the ‎famine as a sign from G’d not to remain in the land of Canaan, but ‎to move on. He was convinced that he acted in accordance with ‎G’d’s wishes.‎

Sometimes, when a person falls from his level by himself, it is because HaShem, blessed is He, knows that this is necessary for him. At other times, the environment can cause him to fall from his level. Nonetheless, the descent is for the purpose of ascent, so that he may come to an even greater level.⁹⁴See Ginat Egoz of Rabbi Yosef Gikatilla, translated as HaShem Is One, Vol. 2, pg. 422-442. This is as stated,⁹⁵Psalms 48:15 – Al Moot-על מות, is translated literally here according to the context, although it can also be translated as “beyond death,” i.e. “eternally.” “He will guide us unto death.” It is similarly written,⁹⁶Genesis 12:10 “And Avram descended to Egypt,” but later it states,⁹⁷Genesis 13:1 “And Avram ascended from Egypt.” Avram refers to the soul,⁹⁸Zohar Vol. 1, 122b whereas Egypt refers to the external husks of evil (Kelipot).⁹⁹Zohar Vol. 1, 83a