Akedah Read the words As conversation

 

Every morning we rush through the akedah, the "binding of Isaac."

Every morning we miss the flavor of the relationship between Abraham and his grown son Isaac.

I used to miss the relationship as well.

And then I became a father of a boy (who now is sneaking up on 40 years old).

The words suddenly had meaning. They still have meaning, at least for me.

Different drummers I once asked a rabbi, who also had sons, if the akedah had a deeper meaning than before he became a father. "No," he replied, and I wondered to myself what type father he is to his children.

The stage is set The second sentence of the akedah

וימר קח-נא את-בנך את-יחידך אשר-אהבת את-יצחק

sets the stage. HaShem doesn't tell Abraham to "take your son" but asks Abraham by adding one word - נא - "please." We are given to understand that Isaac is your only son - את-יחידך, the son you love - אשר-אהבת - - and it that isn't sufficient, the son is specified by name - את-יצחק.

Now fast forward to the part where the two young men - one allegedly is Ishmael who Sara caused to be banished - are left behind when Abraham tells them he and Isaac will continue, make a sacrifice, and "we" - נשובה - will return to them.

Abraham packs the kindling on Isaac's back (it's OK, Isaac is in his 30s at this point) and he takes the fire and the knife and they start walking together. At one time I misread - something I often do - the word יחדו (together) as ידו (hand-in-hand). If you don't think two adult males ever walk "hand-in-hand," let me disabuse you of that idea, especially in father-son (and father-in-law/son-in-law) relationships.

Where's the sacrifice? This apparently is not the first time Isaac has been involved with sacrificial animals so he asks his father

וימר יצחק אל אברהם אביו "אבי" ואמר (אברהם) "הנני בני"

"my father" - "MY father" not just "father" - and Abraham answers "Here I am, my son." Not just "Yeah" or "I'm listening" but "here I am, my son." You have my attention, you are special, you are my son.

Isaac notes that they have the fire and the wood but they lack have the sacrifice. (Interesting that Isaac fails to mention the המאכלת, the knife.) Abraham replies that HaShem will provide the sacrifice, and the Torah notes that וילכו שניהם יחדו (they walked both of them - שניהם - together).

Just a story? The akedah may be just a "סיפור םבתא" - tale to make several points. The haredim will argue that since it's in the Torah it is absolutely true. I am not a Torah scholar so I won't debate the issue.

To me the story - fact or fiction - tells of the love of a son for his father and, if one can set aside the fact that the father apparently was willing to sacrifice his son - and that is a big "fact" to set aside - the love of a father for his son.

Maybe Abraham had confidence that HaShem was testing him when he told Abraham "Go to the land of Moreah and offer up Isaac as an offering."

"ולך-לך אל-ארץ המריה והעלהו שם לעולה "

There was no question about HaShem's instructions.

Meanwhile, I'll focus on the relationship of a son and is father, a closeness and a trustfulness that still moves me when I can take the time to read - and think about - the story.

 

While looking for a suitable graphic I found a computer game called "The Binding of Isaac." The description tells me the game's author, or at least the person writing the marketing blurb, never read the original story. The promo reads: A Biblically-inspired dual-joystick shooter where players take control of Isaac, a young boy who is running from his deranged mother, whose delusions lead her to believe God wants her son dead. Isaac has to navigate multiple floors of his basement - fighting enemies; bosses; and eventually, his mother.

What was Abraham thinking On the way to the Akedah?

R. Ya'aqob Menashe, in his Torah Minute titled Wayyera: Why Is it Not Called Isaac's Test?. raises an interesting question.

I kept R. Menashe's spelling that reflects his pronunciation of Hebrew.

He writes that "The Alshikh, 'a"h, asks a very interesting question. Shouldn't the Torah have said that G-d tested Abraham and Isaac? After all, it was a very major test for Yis-haq Abinu (Isaac), also. He was 37 years old and was willingly going to sacrifice himself."

Keeping in mind that I am not a rabbi and I do not play one on tv, my take on the Akedah is a bit different than many, including real rabbis (and a few on tv as well).

R. Menashe continues quoting the Alshikh as follows: "He answers that there is a difference between Abraham Abinu, 'a"h, and Yis-haq Abinu, 'a"h. Yis-haq Abinu, 'a"h, represents the attribute of justice (Din). This means that his entire desire and entity was to do the will of G-d without any hesitation or second thoughts. Abraham Abinu, 'a"h, on the other hand, represents the attribute of kindness (Hesed), and desired kindness and mercy. We see this clearly in how he even tried to find some merit to save the wicked people of Sedom."
The critical words are, IMO, "Abraham Abinu, 'a"h, on the other hand, represents the attribute of kindness (Hesed), and desired kindness and mercy."

Abraham must believe that HaShem has the same traits. He tells the young men who traveled with him and Yitzak to "Stay here with the ass while I and the lad (Yitzak) go to the mountain (in Moriah); we will go and worship and come back to you." (Genesis 22, 5)

True, he goes through the motions: he tells Yitzak to load up the wood - Yitzak is at this point 37-years-old so even if, according to the midrash, he spent all his time in the tents, he probably was strong enough to tote the load; he takes the fire and the knife and father and son go off together.

At one time, when my sons were little, I misread יחדו (together) as ידו (hand-in-hand). I liked that better, even if Yitzak was 37 at the time. When I was 37 I walked hand-in-hand with my Father-In-Law ע''ה and now, with my first born nearing 37, he walks hand-in-hand with me.

Abraham had a relationship with HaShem that allowed him to bargain, perhaps argue, with HaShem (think of Sodom). Isn't it reasonable to think that Abraham would believe in his heart that "worshipping" HaShem he could convince HaShem to "rethink" his order to offer Yitzak for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22, 2)

In addition to the confidence in HaShem that Abraham developed since he was Abram, he knew that G-d promised him his descendents would become a "goy gadol," a great nation; since Abraham already - at Sara's demand and G-d's acquiesce - had sent Ismael away (and Ismael was no child at the time), Yitzak was Abraham's only hope that G-d would honor His promise to make of Abraham a "goy gadol."

As Abraham and Yitzak are walking, Yitzak queries his father (Genesis 22, 7): "We have the fire and the wood, (but) where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham replies, and I think probably with the confidence of a person who "walks with G-d," "HaShem will provide the lamb for the burnt offering." The verse ends with "and they went on together (יחדו).

At the end of R. Menashe's brief, the rabbi comments that "When G-d commanded him (Abraham) to sacrifice his son, he had to make a 180 degree about turn and change his whole nature from kindness to justice, and take a knife in his hand to slaughter his son."

I don't understand where "justice" comes to play in the Akedah. The Torah never suggests than either Yitzak or Abraham did anything to require capital punishment

But maybe I'm missing something.

Ben Bag Bag said: Turn the Torah over and over for everything is in it. Look into it, grow old and worn over it, and never move away from it, for you will find no better portion than it." (Pirke Avot, 5, 26)

הריני מקבל עלי מצוה עשה של ואהבת לרעך כמוך, והריני אוהב כל אחד מבני ישראל כנפשי ומאודי