True Mesiras Nefesh

Rashi (22:2) says that had Avrohom failed the test of the akedah then people would have said that the fulfillment of the first 9 test wasn't mammash.  Everyone asks why is this so, if a person gets one failing mark in a term it doesn't mean that the tests he passed were worthless?  If the mesiras nefesh of Avrohom is such a great merit, why don't we mention him entering the fire in Or Casdim in our prayers as we do the akedah and why does that story not appear in the Chumash at all?  

The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 20) explains that the akedah wasn’t just the conclusion of the tests of Avrohom, it was the proof of that the fulfillment of all the tests was true mesiras nefesh.  What made the mesiras nefesh of Avrohom unique, we find many people that are willing to give up their life for a cause?  The answer is that those that are willing to give up their lives for their causes have a power of mesiras haguf, not mesiras nefesh.  It is a calculated sacrifice where one feels that in order the cause its worth it to part with their life.  Mesiras nefesh is when one doesn’t feel it makes sense to give up their life, but they do it anyway.  It is a power which is greater than logic, as Chassidus explains, it is a power which stems from the yechidah she’benefeshi, the innermost part of the neshama which is a power greater than that of the sechel.  When it came to Or Casdim one could have thought that Avrohom was zealous about his religion just as others may be, it was worth it for him to jump into the fire and not destroy his life's work.  However, the akedah was not that way, it wasn't worth it for Avrohom to sacrifice his life, for no one was around to know what he was doing and furthermore sacrificing his son ran contrary to Avrohom's entire life work of chesed.  So Avrohom's giving up of his life was true meseres nefesh, it required a power that defied logic.  By passing this test it proved that the first tests were also fulfilled because of neseras nefesh and not just meseras guf.  

Hashem says how can I conceal from Avrohom my plans of destroying Sedom and therefore he tells him and then Avrohom prays.  Why do we need the preamble of Hashem saying how can I conceal this from Avrohom, why do we need any reason, many prophets received prophecy about nations?  And what is the continuation of the pessukim that Avrohom will give over the way of Hashem to his children, why is this relevant?  The Chasam Sofer (intro. to Teshuvos Yoreh Dayeh) explains that a navi has to be in the state of mind ready to accept prophesy.  Avrohom was not constantly in that state of mind because he was willing to give up on his spiritual advancement in order to teach the masses.  That's why there has to be an explanation here as to why Avrohom received the prophesy.  That's the continuation of the pessukim, the reason why Avrohom wasn't always ready to accept prophesy was because he was teaching the derech Hashem.  The Chosem Sofer concludes from here that one must be willing to forgo spiritual growth in order to teach others.  This is an example of true meseras nefesh, where one is willing to give up on their spiritual state for the sake of Hashem, in order to spread his word to others.  True mesiras nefesh is to do that which runs contrary to one's benefit for the sake of Hashem.