לזכות ידי"נ רבי אפרים אבא בן מרים שושנה וכל בני ביתו!!
It says at the beginning of the Akeidah - ויהי אחר הדברים האלה - It came to pass after these things. What things? This is not a pasuk that is spoken about much but there is nevertheless a lot to discuss.
Rashi says that it was either the words of the Satan who said that Avraham made this great meal in honor of Yitchak's being weaned [at the age of 24 months - 21/8] and didn't bring one korban [why not?? - see חקרי לב of Rav Heiman]. Hashem said that he made the seuda for his son and if I so commanded, he would bring his son as a korban. Or after the words of Yishmael who bragged that he was circumcised at the age of 13 and Yitzchak said that he would give not just one organ but his entire body.
Rashi's first explanation is difficult because there is a 35 year gap between the seuda of Avraham and the akeidah because he was 37 at the Akeida according to Chazal [the Ibn Ezra argues that he was only 13]. Also - who CARES what the Satan says??!
And the second explanation begs an explanation as to why a test is necessary - Hashem doesn't know that he would pass? So why test??
The Rashbam says that Hashem was angry with Avrhaham for making a covenant with the פלישתים in the previous section of the parsha, so He tested/ punished him [see there and המעיין תשרי תשנ"ו].
The Ohr Hachaim says that it is referring to all of the adventures of Avraham's life and his difficulty in having children which made the test of sacrificing Yitzchak so difficult [see there].
The Netziv explains in העמק דבר, after everything that happened in Avraham's life, now he reaches his peak.
The Rav ztz"l says that all of world history lead up to this point, thereby connecting EVERYONE with the Akeida!! So all of mankind was elevated by this event.
