Text Study of Akedat Yitzhack, the Binding of Isaac
Rosh Hashanah Day II, 5776
Source Sheet by Ariana Katz
(א) והאלהים נסה את אברהם...ואחרים אמרו כי פי' והעלהו שם לעולה שיעלהו אל ההר וזאת תחשב לו לעולה. ואברהם לא ידע סוד הנבואה וימהר לשחוט אותו והשם אמר לו לא בקשתי זאת.
And others say “because the meaning of sacrificing the son there is to make a sacrifice upon the mountain.” And this (thought) him for sacrifice. And Abraham did not know the secret of the prophecy, and he hurried to slaughter him, and God said to him, “I did not ask for this.”
Spoilers-what did Rashi think God would actually ask? What is the source of the miscommunication according to Ibn Ezra's summary?
(ב) את בנך. אמר לו שני בנים יש לי, אמר לו את יחידך, אמר לו זה יחיד לאמו וזה יחיד לאמו, אמר לו אשר אהבת, אמר לו שניהם אני אוהב, אמר לו את יצחק ולמה לא גלה לו מתחלה, שלא לערבבו פתאום, ותזוח דעתו עליו ותטרף, וכדי לחבב עליו את המצוה ולתן לו שכר על כל דבור ודבור:
(2) He [Avraham] responded, “I have two sons.” [God] said to him, “Your only one.” He responded, “This one is an only son to his mother and the other is an only son to his mother.” [God] said to him, “Who you love.” “I love them both,” he [Avraham] answered. Then, God said, “Yitzhak!”
Why didn’t God reveal this from the beginning? So as not to confuse him suddenly, and he become bewildered and deranged. And, also, so that he value the mitzvah and he would get the reward for each and every expression.
Genesis 22:2 is the proof text for how to attend a house of mourning, letting the mourner lead the conversation. What does this drash of a conversation between God and Abraham tell us of the weight of God's request?
(ד) והעלהו. לא אמר לו שחטהו, לפי שלא היה חפץ הקדוש ברוך הוא לשחטו אלא שיעלהו להר לעשותו עולה, ומשהעלהו אמר לו הורידהו:
And he raised him up. He did not say to him “slaughter him,” because the Holy One of Blessing would not rejoice in his slaughter, rather to bring him up the mountain, to make him an offering, and when he brought him up he would say to him, “take him down."
Abraham almost got it wrong. Even a GREAT prophet can hear God’s words incorrectly. Had he not reacted the way he did to the initial mitzvah, he would have ended the Jewish people before he started! How much the moreso for us who are not prophets to misunderstand the will of God! —Jacob
Abraham rushing to make a sacrifice-just wanted him to go up. Zealotry in observance, listen deeply, go slowly.
Expecting the worst, out of each other. Not waiting to listen clearly to another. Sustainability of our relationships, our movements, needs clarity. Phenomenon of projecting.
Why do we read this parsha on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah? We are asked to do a lot of things in relationship, but rarely does a simple ask come with just the surface level. Perhaps God was not asking Abraham to throw his kid over his shoulder and take him up a mountain and kill him--and how could we pray to such a God, were it true? Sometimes we are being tested to see what happens when the going gets tough. Perhaps how we read this text--do we choose to see a merciful Souce, compassionate and blameless, who is misunderstood by humanity? Or a vengeful, bloodthirsty, "Old Testament" God out to test and bring pain?
Who are the active agents in this poem? What is the mood? What could it mean when fit into the period of history when it was authored?