(Chapter 12, verse 10)

"There was a famine in the land [of Israel] and Avrom emigrated to Egypt to live there because it was a heavy famine in the land."

The Torah tells us that Avrom was forced to leave the promised land because of famine. This must have been a big disappointment to Avrom, expecially since Hashem had blessed him as he left on his journey:

"I will make you a large nation and bless you and build up your name."

Instead of finding his blessing, he found that he was unable to live there due to the difficult conditions.

The Ramban says on this verse that Avrom sinned by leaving the promised land. He should have stayed there in spite of the famine.

When I first saw these words of the Ramban, I thought that they could not be correct. The proof I had against the Ramban's opinion is in Pirke Avos (ch. 5 mishneh 4): "Ten tests were given to our father Avraham and he passed all of them." One of these tests was the famine in the land, (see the Bartenura's commentary to Pirke Avos.) So how could he sin and still pass the test?

The answer is that staying or leaving because of the famine was not the test! The test was whether Avraham's faith in Hashem would weaken after facing the grim facts that he saw in the land promised to him. Hashem tested his faith and not his particular decision. (See Rashi on our verse.)

One thing we learn from this is that it is possible to be in a difficult situation, act in some incorrect way, and yet still "pass" the test. Hashem judges our actions down to the finest details. Sometimes we feel good after doing a mitzvah. We must return and contemplate HOW we did the mitzvah. Did we bother others while doing it?

We should try to perform all of our good deads with as much perfection as humanly possible.