וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. מַהוּ לְשׁוֹן הִנֵּנִי, לְשׁוֹן עֲנָוָה, לְשׁוֹן חֲסִידוּת, שֶׁכָּךְ עַנְוְתָנוּתָן שֶׁל חֲסִידִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם. וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא, אֵין נָא אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה. מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁעָמְדוּ עָלָיו מִלְחָמוֹת הַרְבֵּה, וְהָיָה לוֹ גִּבּוֹר אֶחָד נוֹצֵחַ בְּכָל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת. לְיָמִים עָמְדָה עָלָיו מִלְחָמָה חֲזָקָה. אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאוֹתוֹ גִבּוֹר, בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ עֲמוֹד לִי בְּמִלְחָמָה זוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ שָׂרֵי הַחַיָּלִים שֶׁלִּי, אוֹתָן מִלְחָמוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת לֹא הָיָה בָהֶן מַמָשׁ. אַף כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם, נִסִּיתִיךָ בְּתִשְׁעָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת וְעָמַדְתָּ בָהֶן, עַכְשָׁו עֲמוֹד לִי בְּנִסָּיוֹן זֶה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ, רִאשׁוֹנִים לֹא הָיָה בָהֶם מַמָּשׁ. And He said unto him: “Abraham”; and he said: “Here am I” (Gen. 22:1). What does the expression hineni (“here am I”) signify? It signifies meekness and piety. The meekness of pious men is indicated in every instance by the use of these words. And He said: “Take, please, thy son” (ibid., v. 2). The word na (“please”16Sometimes also translated “now”.) is always used to indicate a request. For example, there was once a king who was constantly engaged in wars, and he had in his army a powerful warrior who was victorious in every engagement. At one time a crucial battle developed, and he said to his mighty warrior: “Stand beside me now (na), lest my officers say that the earlier battles were minor engagements.” Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham: I have tried you nine times, and you underwent those trials successfully; now endure this final trial so that men may not say the earlier trials were of little consequence.
וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ. אָמַר לוֹ: אֵי זֶה בֵּן? אָמַר לוֹ: אֶת יְחִידְךָ. אָמַר לוֹ: זֶה יָחִיד לְאִמּוֹ וְזֶה יָחִיד לְאִמּוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ: אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ. אָמַר לוֹ: שְׁנֵיהֶם אֲנִי אוֹהֵב, אָמַר לוֹ: אֶת אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ הַרְבֵּה, אָמַר לוֹ: וְכִי יֵשׁ גְּבוּל בַּמֵּעַיִם? אָמַר לוֹ: אֶת יִצְחָק. And He said: “Take now (na) thy son, thine only son” (ibid.). Abraham asked: “Which son is that?” The Holy One replied: Your only son. “But,” he said, “one of my sons is the only son of his mother, and the other is the only son of his mother.” The son you love, He replied. “I love them both,” Abraham responded. “The one you love the most,” said God. “Is there a limit in the viscera?” (i.e., Is there a measure within which a man gauges the love he bears his sons), he asked. Forthwith, God replied: Isaac.
וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה. מַהוּ לֶךְ לְךָ? נִסָּיוֹן אַחֲרוֹן כְּנִסָּיוֹן הָרִאשׁוֹן, נִסָּיוֹן הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּלֵךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתֶּךָ, וְנִסָּיוֹן אַחֲרוֹן בְּלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה. And get thee into the land of Moriah (ibid., v. 2). What is suggested by the word get thee? It implies that the last trial was similar to the first. At the first trial, The Lord said unto Abram: “Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred” (Gen. 12:1), and at the last trial He said: Get thee into the land of Moriah.
מִיָּד, וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת חֲמוֹרוֹ. כַּמָּה עֲבָדִים וְכַמָּה שְׁפָחוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ לְאוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק, וְהוּא בְעַצְמוֹ וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת חֲמוֹרוֹ, לְלַמֶּדְךָ זְרִיזוּתוֹ. Forthwith, Abraham arose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him (ibid. 22:3). How many servants and maids that righteous man possessed! Yet he saddled the ass himself. This reveals his eagerness to fulfill God’s command.
בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחוֹק. וְלָמָּה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְלֹא בַיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְלֹא בַיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אוֹמְרִים: הֲמָמוֹ וְהָלַךְ וְשָׁחַט אֶת בְּנוֹ. On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar off (ibid., v. 4). Why was he able to see the place on the third day, but not on the first or second day? Lest the inhabitants of the world assert that he was still in shock from God’s command and therefore was willing to sacrifice his son.
וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחוֹק. אָמַר אַבְרָהָם, מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה, אִם אֲגַלֶּה לְשָׂרָה, נָשִׁים דַּעְתָּן קַלָּה עֲלֵיהֶן בְּדָבָר קָטָן, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּדָבָר גָּדוֹל כָּזֶה. וְאִם לֹא אֲגַלֶּה לָהּ וְאֶגְנְבֶנּוּ מִמֶּנָּה בְּעֵת שֶׁלֹּא תִרְאֶה אוֹתוֹ, תַּהֲרֹג אֶת עַצְמָהּ. מֶה עָשָׂה? אָמַר לְשָׂרָה, תַּקְּנִי לָנוּ מַאֲכָל וּמִשְׁתֶּה וְנֹאכַל וְנִשְׂמַח. אָמְרָה לוֹ: מַה הַיּוֹם מִיּוֹמַיִם וּמַה טִּיבָהּ שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה זוֹ. אָמַר לָהּ: זְקֵנִים כְּמוֹתֵנוּ נוֹלַד לָהֶם בֵּן בְּזִקְנוּתָם, כְּדַי לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִשְׂמֹחַ. הָלְכָה וְתִקְּנָה הַמַּאֲכָל. כְּשֶׁהָיוּ בְּתוֹךְ הַמַּאֲכָל, אָמַר לָהּ: אַתְּ יוֹדַעַת כְּשֶׁאֲנִי בֶּן שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים הִכַּרְתִּי אֶת בּוֹרְאִי, וְהַנַּעַר הַזֶּה גָּדוֹל וְלֹא נֶחֱנַךְ, וְיֵשׁ מָקוֹם אֶחָד רָחוֹק מִמֶּנּוּ מְעַט שֶׁשָּׁם מְחַנְּכִין אֶת הַנְּעָרִים, אֶקָּחֶנּוּ וַאֲחַנְּכֶנּוּ שָׁם. אָמְרָה לוֹ: לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם. And he saw the place from afar off. Abraham had asked himself: What shall I do? If I tell Sarah all about it, consider what may happen. After all, a woman’s mind becomes distraught over insignificant matters; how much more disturbed would she become if she heard something as shocking as this! However, if I tell her nothing at all, and simply steal him away from her when she is not looking, she will kill herself. What did he do? He said to Sarah: “Prepare some food and drink that we may eat and rejoice.” “But why is this day different from other days?” she asked. “What are you celebrating?” He replied: “When a couple our age has a son, it is fitting, indeed, that they should eat, drink, and rejoice.” Whereupon she prepared the food. While they were eating, he said to her: “When I was a child of three, I already knew my Creator, yet this child is growing up and still has had no instruction. There is a place a short distance away where children are being taught, I will take him there.” She answered: “Go in peace.”
מִיָּד, וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר. וְלָמָּה בַּבֹּקֶר? אָמַר, שֶׁמָּא שָׂרָה תַחֲזֹר בְּדִבּוּרָהּ וְלֹא תַנִּיחֵנִי, אָקוּם בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה קֹדֶם שֶׁתָּקוּם הִיא. Immediately: And Abraham arose early in the morning (ibid., v. 3). Why did he arise early in the morning? He had said to himself: Perhaps Sarah will change her mind and not permit me to go; I will arise before she does.”
לָמָּה בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה? שֶׁזְּרִיזִין מַקְדִּימִין לַמִּצְוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי יִמּוֹל בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתוֹ (ויקרא יב, ג), מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּל הַיּוֹם כָּשֵׁר לַמִּילָה אֶלָּא זְרִיזִים מַקְדִּימִים לַמִּצְוֹת. Another comment on early in the morning: Righteous men are always anxious to fulfill their religious duties as early as possible. For example, though Scripture states; And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised (Lev. 21:3), thereby indicating that the entire day is appropriate for circumcision, a righteous man will fulfill the precept of circumcision as early in the day as possible.
וַיִּקַּח אֶת שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ. אָמַר עַד שֶׁאַקְרִיבֶנּוּ, יִשְׁמְרוּ הֵם אֶת הַכֵּלִים. And he took two of his young men with him (Gen. 22:3). He said to himself: While I am sacrificing him they will guard the supplies.
קְדָמוֹ הַשָּׂטָן בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְנִדְמֶה לוֹ כִּדְמוּת זָקֵן. אָמַר לוֹ: לְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ? אָמַר לוֹ: לְהִתְפַּלֵּל. אָמַר לוֹ: וּמִי שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל? לָמָּה אֵשׁ וּמַאֲכֶלֶת בְּיָדוֹ וְעֵצִים עַל כְּתֵפוֹ? אָמַר לוֹ: שֶׁמָּא נִשְׁהֶא יוֹם אוֹ יוֹמַיִם וְנִשְׁחַט וְנֹאפֶה וְנֹאכַל. אָמַר לוֹ: זָקֵן, לֹא שָׁם הָיִיתִי כְּשֶׁאָמַר לְךָ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ, וְזָקֵן כְּמוֹתְךָ יֵלֵךְ וִיאַבֵּד בֵּן שֶׁנִּתַּן לוֹ לְמֵאָה שָׁנָה. לֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ הַמָּשָׁל, מַה שֶּׁהָיָה בְיָדוֹ אִבְּדוֹ וּמְבַקֵשׁ מֵאֲחֵרִים. וְאִם תֹּאמַר יִהְיֶה לְךָ בֵּן אַחֵר, תִּשְׁמַע מִן הַמַּשְׂטִין וּתְאַבֵּד נְשָׁמָה שֶׁתִּתְחַיֵּב עָלֶיהָ בַּדִּין. אָמַר לוֹ: לֹא מַשְׂטִין הָיָה אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ הָיָה, לֹא אֶשְׁמַע מִמְּךָ. Satan appeared before him on the road in the guise of an old man and asked: “Whither are you going?” Abraham replied: “To pray.” “And why,” Satan retorted, “does one going to pray carry fire and a knife in his hands, and wood on his shoulders?” “We may tarry there for several days,” said Abraham, “and slaughter an animal and cook it.” The old man (Satan) responded: “That is not so; I was present when the Holy One, blessed be He, ordered you to take your son. Why should an old man, who begets a son at the age of a hundred, destroy him? Have you not heard the parable of the man who destroyed his own possessions and then was forced to beg from others? If you believe that you will have another son, you are listening to the words of a seducer. And furthermore, if you destroy a soul, you will be held legally accountable for it.” Abraham answered: “It was not a seducer, but the Holy One, blessed be He, who told me what I must do, and I shall not listen to you.”
הָלַךְ מֵעָלָיו וְנִדְמָה לְבָחוּר וְעָמַד עַל יְמִינוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק. אָמַר לוֹ: לְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ? אָמַר לוֹ: לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה. אָמַר לוֹ: בְּחַיֶּיךָ אוֹ בְּמִיתָתְךָ. אָמַר לוֹ: וְכִי יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁיִּלְמֹד אַחַר מִיתָה? אָמַר לוֹ: עָלוּב בַּר עֲלוּבָה, כַּמָּה תַעֲנִיּוֹת נִתְעַנֵּית אִמְּךָ עַד שֶׁלֹּא נוֹלַדְתָּ, וְהַזָּקֵן הַזֶּה הִשְׁתַּטָּה וְהוּא הוֹלֵךְ לְשָׁחֳטֶךָ. אָמַר: אַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא אֶעֱבֹר עַל דַּעַת יוֹצְרִי וְעַל צִוּוּי אָבִי. חָזַר וְאָמַר לְאָבִיו: אָבִי, רְאֵה מָה אוֹמֵר לִי זֶה. אָמַר לוֹ: אַל תַּשְׁגִּיחַ עָלָיו, שֶׁאֵינוֹ בָּא אֶלָּא לְיָעֵף לָנוּ. מִיָּד וַיֹּאמֶר יִצְחָק וְגוֹ'. Satan departed from him and appeared at Isaac’s right hand in the guise of a youth. He inquired: “Where are you going?” “To study the law,” Isaac replied. “Alive or dead?” he retorted. “Is it possible for a man to learn the law after he is dead?” Isaac queried. He said to him: “Oh, unfortunate son of an unhappy mother, many days your mother fasted before your birth, and now this demented old man is about to sacrifice you.” Isaac replied: “Even so, I will not disregard the will of my Creator, nor the command of my father.” He turned to his father and said: “Father, do you hear what this man has told me?” He replied: “Pay no heed to him, he has come only to torment us.” Forthwith, And Isaac spoke (ibid., v. 7).
בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי. וְכִי מֵאַחַר שֶׁהַדֶּרֶךְ קְרוֹבָה, לָמָּה נִתְעַכֵּב שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁלֹּא קִבְּלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ הָלַךְ וְנַעֲשָׂה לִפְנֵיהֶם נָהָר גָּדוֹל. מִיָּד יָרַד אַבְרָהָם לְתוֹךְ הַמַּיִם וְהִגִּיעוּ עַד בִּרְכָּיו. אָמַר לִנְעָרָיו בּוֹאוּ אַחֲרַי, יָרְדוּ אַחֲרָיו. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ עַד חֲצִי הַנָּהָר, הִגִּיעוּ הַמַּיִם עַד צַוָּארוֹ. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה תָּלָה אַבְרָהָם עֵינָיו לַשָּׁמַיִם, אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, בְּחַרְתָּנִי וְהוֹרֵתָנִי וְנִגְלֵיתָ לִי וְאָמַרְתָּ לִי, אֲנִי יָחִיד וְאַתָּה יָחִיד, עַל יָדְךָ יִוָּדַע שְׁמִי בְעוֹלָמִי וְהַעֲלֵה יִצְחָק בִּנְךָ לְפָנַי לְעוֹלָה וְלֹא עִכַּבְתִּי. וַהֲרֵינִי עוֹסֵק בְּצִוּוּיֶךָ, וְעַכְשָׁו בָּאוּ מַיִם עַד נָפֶשׁ. אִם אֲנִי אוֹ יִצְחָק בְּנִי טוֹבֵעַ, מִי יְקַיֵּם מַאֲמָרְךָ. עַל מִי יִתְיַחֵד שְׁמֶךָ. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, חַיֶּיךָ, שֶׁעַל יָדְךָ יִתְיַחֵד שְׁמִי בָּעוֹלָם. מִיָּד גָּעַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הַמַּעְיָן וְיָבַשׁ הַנָּהָר וְעָמְדוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes (ibid., v. 4). Since the distance was extremely short, what delayed them three days? When Satan realized that they would not pay any attention to him, he went ahead and created a river in their path. When Abraham stepped into the river, it reached his knees. He ordered his young men to follow him, and they did so. But in the middle of the river the water reached his neck. Thereupon, Abraham lifted his eyes heavenward and cried out: Master of the Universe, You have chosen me; You have instructed me; You revealed Yourself to me; You have declared: I am one and You are one, and through You shall my name be made known in My world. You have ordered me: Offer, Isaac, thy son, as a sacrifice, and I did not refuse; but now, as I am about to fulfill Thy command, these waters endanger my life. If either I or my son, Isaac, should drown, who will fulfill Your decrees, and who will proclaim the Unity of Your Name? The Holy One, blessed be He, responded: Be assured that through you the Unity of My Name will be made known through the world. Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked the source of the water, and caused the river to dry up. Once again, they stood on dry land.
מֶה עָשָׂה הַשָּׂטָן? אָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם: וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וְגוֹ' (איוב ד, יב), כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵאֲחוֹרֵי הַפַּרְגּוֹד, הַשֶּׂה לְעוֹלָה וְאֵין יִצְחָק לְעוֹלָה. אָמַר לוֹ: כָּךְ עָנְשׁוֹ שֶׁל בַּדַּאי, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אוֹמֵר אֱמֶת אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ. What did Satan do then? He said to Abraham: “Now a word was secretly brought to me (Job 4:12); that is, I have heard from behind the heavenly curtain that a lamb will be sacrificed as a burnt offering instead of Isaac.” Abraham responded; “It is a liar’s fate that even though he should speak the truth, no one will believe him.”
מִיַּד, וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחוֹק. וְהֵיאַךְ נִרְאָה מֵרָחוֹק? מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה הָיָה מָקוֹם עָמֹק. כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָתוֹ עָלָיו וְלַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ מִקְדָּשׁ, אָמַר, אֵין דֶּרֶךְ מֶלֶךְ לִשְׁכֹּן בָּעֵמֶק אֶלָּא בְּמָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ וּמְעֻלֶּה וּמְיֻפֶּה וְנִרְאֶה לַכֹּל. מִיָּד רָמַז הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ לִסְבִיבוֹת הָעֵמֶק שֶׁיִּתְקַבְּצוּ הֶהָרִים לְמָקוֹם אֶחָד לַעֲשׂוֹת מְקוֹם הַשְּׁכִינָה. לְפִיכָךְ נִקְרָא הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה, שֶׁמִּיִּרְאָתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ נַעֲשָׂה הָר. Immediately, And he saw the place from afar off. How was he able to see the place from afar off? This verse teaches us that the place was a valley at the time. However, when the Holy One, blessed be He, decided to make His Shekhinah hover over it and to make it the site of the Temple, He observed that it is not fitting for a king to dwell in a valley, but rather in a lofty and beautiful place, visible to every eye. Thereupon, the Holy One, blessed be He, called upon the hills in the surrounding area to come together in order to make a fitting abode for the Shekhinah. Hence, the mountain is called Moriah, for it was fashioned out of reverence (yirah) for the Holy One, blessed be He.