The portion CONTRASTS the faithfulness of Abraham with the corruption and evil in Sodom,

where Abraham's nephew went to live.

 

Rabbi Neriya's (OB"M) book talking on this portion points out about the difference 

between "knowing G-d's Will" (to do) 

and knowing "G-d Knowledge" (on a spiritual plane). 

 

Here we have Abraham teaching the world not to perform human sacrifice to idols - 

And he is commanded to take his son and put him on the alter on the Temple Mount!

 

Maimonides was a Master of all that, - the difference between

G-d knowledge - and knowing what G-d's REAL WILL is - something Abraham had to learn.

 

The Torah Story teaches us that: It is something one learns ONLY by Faithfully Testing Oneself with 

 

the Commands of the Almighty (as written in the Torah)!

 

So ....  Not so many people are aware how the "Bal Haturim" (as he was called)

 

was also a truly great Master of all that.  

 

(He wrote the Arba Turim

which are the standard reference books of all rabbis and scholars to this very day).

 

Known as Rabbi Jacob ben Asher - he also wrote a commentary on the Torah, which shows his deep knowledge of the secrets of the Torah.