Page 196 - BERESHIT

Avraham Avinu went to Egypt because of a famine, without any
miraculous shortening of his journey. Eliezer on the other hand, went to
find a wife for Yitzchak and had a supernatural contraction of the earth.
Why did Avraham, while going with the consent of Hashem, not merit
Divine intervention, whereas Eliezer who went with the command of
Avraham did?

The journey of Avraham was both a test and a source of reward. Every
step of the way was really another merit in his favor. For Eliezer, a long
journey would have been too much of a test, as he really wanted Yitzchak
to marry his own daughter, and so he had his trip shortened.

Angels are described as , standing in their place, because they do

not have mitzvot to do. A person on the other hand, has the ability to

change and grow, and so he is labeled a , in constant motion. The

mitzvot are there to help him to go from one level to the next. This is why

the Vilna Gaon did not want to learn Torah from Eliyahu Hanavi. He

preferred to learn by himself and discover new insights on his own.

A korban that is brought at the right time is accepted. One that is brought
past its scheduled time is not. By not bringing it on time, one shows that
he does not appreciate their korban or his service of Hashem. The same
is true of tefillah. Once the time slot for a particular tefillah has passed,
the tefillah can no longer be said.

Time is precious. In the way man wants to go, Heaven leads. One can
have his journey lengthened or shortened, all depending on each
individual’s utilization of time. The seconds pass by the one who
squanders them away, and play into the hands of the one who knows how
to value time.