Where was Avraham when he was commanded to sacrifice his son? Why did it take him three days to arrive at Mount Moriah? When did Sarah die? After the Akeidat Yitzhak, did Avraham return to where he had set out from?
After Avraham and Lot parted ways, Avraham settled in Elonei Mamre by Hebron (Genesis 13, 18).
Following the destruction of Sodom, Avraham moved to Gerar (20, 2).
After Avraham bid farewell to King Avimelekh of Gerar, he moved to Beersheba at some point, where Yitzhak was apparently born (20, 15; 22, 33).
The narrative sequence above makes it sound as if Avraham was living in Beersheba when God commanded him to sacrifice Yitzhak. After the Akeida, the Torah describes Avraham going to Beersheba on what appears to be a return trip (22, 19).
Right after placing Avraham in Beersheba at the end of the Akeida, the Torah relates that Sarah died in Hebron (Genesis 23, 1-2). Had Avraham and Sarah been living in Hebron or Beersheba?
If we assume that Sarah’s death occurred at a much later time (and not right after the Akeida), then there would have been time for Avraham and Sarah to move from Beersheba to Hebron at some point. Ramban adopts this view in his interpretation based on the simple meaning of the text.
Rashi’s commentary, however, follows a midrash that describes Sarah dying immediately after and as a result of the Akeida. Rashi writes that Avraham and Sarah were living in Hebron at the time of the Akeida: The Torah’s comment about Avraham dwelling in Beersheba does not mean that he was living there in a substantial way.
Ramban’s explanation of Rashi’s view is that Avraham passed through Beersheba to the Eshel that he had planted there, in order to offer thanks for the miracle that had occurred to him, the angel spoaring Yitzhak’s life.
Ramban points out that his own view can easily explain why it took Avraham three days to arrive at the area of Mount Moriah: Avraham received the Divine command in Beersheba—and Beersheba is a considerable distance from Mount Moriah!
Though Hebron is much closer to Jerusalem, Rashi’s opinion can still account for the three days it took Avraham to carry out God’s command. Ramban explains that in Rashi’s version of events, Avraham was wandering and exploring the mountains surrounding Jerusalem for the first two days. Avraham couldn’t yet bring Yitzhak up to the mountain-- because God did not tell Avraham mountain he was to ascend until the third day! After all, God said in the original command that He would specify which mountain it was to be (22, 2).
Alternatively, the proximity of Hebron to Jerusalem – no more than a day’s travel – and the fact that that it took 3 days to reach Mount Moriah, points to a complex spiritual state of mind that Avraham was in on the way to completing the task of the Akeida.