Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the principle of lev beis din masneh, which essentially means that the rabbinic court allows itself an assumption that sacrifices are dedicated with a conditional clause subject to the judicial will of the sages. Therefore, in certain isolated situations when there is no choice, something that was sanctified and dedicated for a sacrifice can be reversed and annulled because the entire dedication was under an assumed condition of rabbinic approval, which they can retroactively revoke if necessary.
The Chasam Sofer (Vayelech) applies this idea to explain some verses regarding the Akeida (Bereishis 22:12). Right before Avraham was about to sacrifice his son, the angel calls out, “Do not send your hand forth toward the lad and do not do a thing to him.” There is redundancy in this verse, indicating some extra pressure or move on Avraham’s part to at least, in some way, still sacrifice his son: “Do not send your hand forth and also do not do a thing.” What is this extra act that Avraham was contemplating that the angel needed to emphasize that he must refrain from?
Chasam Sofer says that Avraham was thinking to himself, since my son has already been dedicated as a sacrifice, I do not have the ability to de-sanctify him unless he gets a blemish. (A sacrifice that has a blemish can be redeemed because it is no longer fit for the altar. But a regular sacrifice cannot be redeemed for all the money in the world so long as it is fit.) Therefore, Avraham thought to inflict a small blemish on his son to make him unfit for a sacrifice, thereby allowing for his redemption. The angel, however, said, “Do not do a thing to him.” This is because the angel was applying the principle of lev beis din masneh: the court has special privilege to revoke sanctification. In this case, it is God who is acting in the place of the court and revoking the sanctification privilege. But the idea is, it was not necessary for Avraham to do anything additional.
Of course, this kind of derash cannot be taken at face value and requires additional reflection. What does all this really mean? Was Avraham really engaged in a halachic pilpul with the angel? I think we can understand this allegorically. Avraham’s thinking was, granted God is allowing us a free pass and Yitschok does not need to be sacrificed, but he and I will still lose out on some form of attainment. This is symbolized in the thought to make a blemish so the sacrifice can be redeemed. But the angel says, no, you are good enough as you are, and you don’t need to do a thing, while the highest spiritual levels will not be “sacrificed.” This is symbolized by lev beis din masneh.
Sometimes we don’t know what the test is or what the sacrifice is supposed to be. Sometimes the test is to give up the sacrifice, as it were, to sacrifice the sacrifice. God says, it’s not about satisfying one external particular condition because, in the end, I make the terms here. When you pass the test by doing the right thing, even if sometimes it’s not doing, God allows for the complete spiritual attainment.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation 
If you liked this, you might enjoy my Relationship Communications Guide. Click on the link above.
Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com