EXTRA · Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 22:4
Supplementary classical material; Torah Temimah lists no citation under this passuk.
On the third day Avraham lifted his eyes and saw the place from afar.
Rashi on Genesis 22:4.
Sefaria — Rashi on Genesis 22:4
English: “On the third day.” Why did He delay showing it to him at once? So that people would not say He confused and unsettled him suddenly and unsettled his mind; had he had time to consult his heart he would not have done it. “And he saw the place” — he saw a cloud bound upon the mountain.
Derash on the verse (Rashi) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Delay and the visible cloud both serve the integrity of the test.
A true trial allows time for reflection; Avraham’s three-day walk and the cloud-sign together confirm that the Akeidah was undertaken with clear mind and clear direction.