A few days before Rosh Hashanah, an unforgettable photograph went around our family chat. A father was giving a bracha to his son as the son returned to his Tzahal unit to defend the Jewish people once again. This willingness for the Jewish people to place their children in harm’s way to sanctify the name of God comes from the very beginning of our people, when Avraham Avinu accepts God’s test to sacrifice his son on an altar on an unknown mountain. The Torah simply states that God decided to test Avraham, and for over 3,000 years, Jews have been looking for the reasons why. Looking closely at the story, we can see how some of these explanations can speak to us today.
Rashi, encapsulating the traditional views, gives two explanations, which at first seem to be contradictory—is Avraham being tested by the Akeidah or is it Yitzchak? However, both interpretations are really the same—the Akeidah is a response to the accusation (for Avraham, from Satan; for Yitzchak, from Yishmael) that the Jewish people are insufficiently devoted in their service to God. A Jew must continually be aware of his role as a member of the chosen people—we are chosen to serve God, and we need to be diligent in demonstrating this devotion to the world.
Rashbam views the test from a political perspective. As usual, he stays as close to the plain meaning of the text as possible, focusing on the previous episode in the Torah—the brit, or covenant, that Avraham makes with the Philistine king, Avimelech. We learn of the dangers found in false peace deals from the very last words that Moshe Rabbenu says to the Jewish people. He warns that “your enemies will lie to you”—which Rashi connects to the Givonim, who sued Yehoshua for peace under false pretenses.
The Jewish people are renowned as loving peace, praying for peace three times a day and in the final line of the holy Kaddish. The nations of the world turn that virtue into a weakness, leading us along until we are comfortable and vulnerable. Rashbam asks: If Avraham knew his children were destined to inherit the entire land, how could he make a covenant with strangers and allow them to live on it? As a result, God threatens to remove his promise, unless Avraham is willing to re-demonstrate his commitment to the covenant of God.
However, the brit with Avimelch is not the scene that immediately precedes the Akeidah. After Avimelech leaves, the Torah relates that Avraham planted an orchard, proclaimed Hashem “the eternal God,” and chose to live in the land of the Plishtim for many years. It is a picture of a settled life, the founder of monotheism living out his days simply spreading the word of God. However, as we know from the story of Yaakov, that is not the path for tzadikim—immediately after we hear that “Yaakov dwelt in comfort,” jealousy erupts between his sons, leading to the exile in Mitzrayim. Hashem tests Avraham through the Akeidah to wake him up and remind him that, even in old age, one must rededicate oneself every day to the service of God.
God commands Avraham to offer up Yitzchak as an “olah.” While in our sacrificial system an “olah” is defined as a “completely burnt offering,” the word is directly connected to the verb “l’alot,” to raise up. After reaching Mount Moriah, Avraham follows this command perfectly, after binding Yitzchak, he places him “mima’al”— on top of the wood on the altar. The essential action is lifting up Yitzchak. As parents, our fundamental task is to “raise” our children, making sure they reach the heights of their God-given talents, even going beyond what we have been able to accomplish.
Stepping back, we should consider Yitzchak’s role in the Akeidah. As Rashi indicated, Yitzchak was being tested as much as Avraham. While Yitzchak’s age at the time of this event is not disclosed by the Torah, almost all commentators believe that he was at least 13—a bar mitzvah, one who is responsible for his own actions. Our tradition calls this episode the Akeidah—the Binding—of Yitzchak. The Midrash describes Yitzchak asking his father to tie him tighter, so that his sacrifice will be acceptable to God. Here, the test is whether Yitzchak was ready to join his father and begin the process of transmitting the word of God from generation to generation. Once Yitzchak is bound, and allows himself to be placed on the altar, the test has been passed.
Finally, a close reading of the end of the episode reveals the lasting impact of this event on Yitzchak. After he is promised a multitude of blessings for himself and his descendants, Avraham returns to his servants, and then they walk to Beersheva. However, Yitzchak is not among them, and Yitzchak is also absent for his mother’s funeral and during his father’s efforts to procure a wife for him. Instead, we next find him at Be’er Lachai Roi—living on his own. Like Avraham, we send our children off into the world to fulfill their role, and while they forever remain our family, we must acknowledge that, through their tests, they will become their own, strong, independent selves, ready to serve God in their own way.
May all of our sons and daughters who, dedicated to protect the Jewish people and to demonstrate our greatness to the world, have traveled to the unknown over the last year and sacrificed so much, succeed in their mission and bring true peace to the world.
Hesh Luber lives in Teaneck with his wife and children.
