Akeidat Yitzhak: The Greatness of Yitzhak

Parashat Vayera 5776, 2015
Akeidat Yitzhak: The Greatness of Yitzhak

Rabbi David Etengoff
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-inlaw, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat
Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben
Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, HaRav Yosef Shemuel ben
HaRav Reuven Aharon, David ben Elazar Yehoshua, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana,
and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the
world.
And it came to pass after these things, that G-d tested Abraham, and He said to
him, Abraham, and he said, Here I am. (Sefer Bereishit 22:1, this and all
Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
Our pasuk (verse) is the introduction to the celebrated narrative known as the Akeidat
Yitzhak, (the Binding of Isaac). References to this passage abound throughout Rabbinic
literature, and serve as the subject for many of the Rosh Hashanah prayers. Chazal (our
Sages of Blessed Memory) note that Avraham underwent 10 trials in order to proclaim
his love for the Creator: With ten tests our father Abraham was tested and he withstood
them all - in order to make known how great was our father Abraham's love [for G-d].
(Pirkei Avot 5:3) Beyond a doubt, the Akeidah was Avrahams most challenging and
heart-rending trial.
The beginning phrase of our pasuk, And it came to pass after these things, is very
mysterious, since there is no clear indication as to what these things actually were.
Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself on various Midrashic traditions, suggests these
explanations:
After these things: Some of our Sages say [that this happened]: after the words of Satan,
who was accusing and saying, Of every feast that Abraham made, he did not sacrifice
before You one bull or one ram! He [God] said to him, Does he do anything but for his
son? Yet, if I were to say to him, Sacrifice him before Me, he would not withhold
[him].
And some say, after the words of Ishmael, who was boasting to Isaac that he was
circumcised at the age of thirteen, and he did not protest. Isaac said to him, With one
organ you intimidate me? If the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me, Sacrifice yourself
before Me, I would not hold back.
Allow me to focus my attention upon Rashis second interpretation. The actual texts of
the Talmud and Midrash from which Rashi created the dialogue between Yishmael and
Yitzhak are worded a bit differently from that which he presents. As such, the original
versions contain nuances that are not found in Rashis commentary. The most striking
example of these differences is the following Talmudic passage from Talmud Bavli,
Sanhedrin 89b:
Rabbi Levi said [after these things connotes]: After the words of Yishmael to
Yitzhak. Yishmael said to Yitzhak: I am greater than you in [the fulfillment] of the
commandments, since you were circumcised when you were eight days old, and, [in
contrast,] I was13 years old [and, I was therefore able to protest yet, I remained
silent!] Yitzhak responded to him: Regarding one limb you attempt to anger me [with
your specious claim of superiority in mitzvot observance?] If the Holy One Blessed be He
were to say to me: Sacrifice yourself before me, I [would unhesitatingly] sacrifice
myself! Immediately [the Torah then states:] And it was after these things.
(Translation and brackets my own)
Leaving aside some of the relatively minor variations between Rashis presentation and
our Talmudic narrative, one is swiftly struck by the Gemaras point of contention
between Yishmael and Yitzhak, namely, mitzvot observance. At first glance, this seems
rather odd. After all, the Torah was not given to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai until
the time of Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher, Moshe). The notion that Avraham, and by
extension, his entire family, kept the Torah prior to the Sinatic Revelation, however, is
presented in a well-known statement in Talmud Bavli, Yoma 28b:
Rava said, while others say it was actually Rav Ashi: Avraham Avinu (our father
Avraham) fulfilled the entire Torah, up to and including erev tavshilin (the Rabbinic
enactment allowing cooking on the second day of Yom Tov for Shabbat). As the Torah
states: [Because Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My
commandments, My statutes, and] My instructions (Torotai, Sefer Bereishit 26:5).
Torotai [the plural of Torah] This means both the Written Torah and the Oral Law.
(Translation, parentheses and brackets my own)
Thus, according to the Talmud, the encounter between Yishmael and Yitzhak was
nothing less than an epic battle for the spiritual future of the Jewish people. Clearly,
Hashem weighed in on the side of Yitzhak, since the Holy One Blessed be He
immediately gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his absolute loyalty to Him.
Rav Nissan Alpert zatzal (1927-1986), perhaps the greatest disciple of Rav Moshe
Feinstein zatzal (1895-1986), in his posthumous work entitled Limudei Nissan, asked a
fundamental question on our Talmudic passage from tractate Sanhedrin:
[At first glance,] it is very difficult to state that after these things refers to [the
fractious] interchange between Yishmael and Yitzhak. If this were to be the case, the text
should have read, And the L-rd tested Yitzhak, [rather than, and G-d tested
Abraham.] (Page 175, translation and brackets my own)
Rav Alpert responded to his query by suggesting the trial of ones son is ultimately the
trial of the father, if the father has properly taught him to withstand the tribulations of the
test. He suggested this idea based upon the grammatical construction of the Hebrew
phrase, vhaElokim nissah et Avraham (and G-d tested Avraham), wherein the word
et is seemingly superfluous. Utilizing the exegetical principle that everything in the
Torah is absolutely necessary, Rav Alpert suggested the et really means with, i.e. that
Yitzhak was simultaneously tested at the moment of Avrahams greatest trial; alternately,
the et can refer to that which was secondary to Avraham, namely, his son, Yitzhak.
Therefore, the Torahs phrase, and G-d tested Avraham, can be interpreted quite
properly as and G-d tested Avraham and Yitzhak.(Page 176)
The second best-known narrative in Parashat Vayera is that of the Destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah. Indeed, that story, coupled with Avrahams heartfelt pleading before the
Almighty for the inhabitants of these wayward cities, captures our imagination to such a
degree that the following verses are often all but forgotten:
And the L-rd said, Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am doing? And Abraham will
become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the world will be blessed in
him. For I have known him because he commands his sons and his household after him,
that they should keep the way of the L-rd to perform righteousness and justice, in order
that the L-rd bring upon Abraham that which He spoke concerning him. (Sefer Bereishit
18:19)
The original Hebrew of the phrase, that they should keep the way of the L-rd to perform
righteousness and justice is vshamru derech Hashem laasot tzedakah umishpat. In
his posthumously published work, Abrahams Journey: Reflections on the Life of the
Founding Patriarch, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (19031993), known as the Rav by his students and followers, notes that the Hebrew words
vshamru derech Hashem refer to the pursuit of holiness (kedushah), whereas the
expression laasot tzedakah umishpat connotes practicing righteousness and justice.
Thus, Avraham Avinus testament was twofold: keeping the way of the L-rd, which
requires kedushah, and also practicing righteousness and justice. (Page 106)
In my estimation, Yitzhak Avinu (our father Yitzhak) perceived himself as the next link in
the chain that connected he and his father, and Jews for all time to the Almighty.
Therefore, he proved his loyalty to G-d and the mitzvot, by undertaking the potential
ultimate sacrifice of dying al Kiddush Hashem (to sanctify G-ds Name). Thus, he stood
steadfast in his resolve to continue the primacy of vshamru derech Hashem laasot
tzedakah umishpat.
With G-ds help and blessings, may we, too, continue to uphold the spiritual values of
Avraham, Yitzhak, Yaakov, Rivka, Rachel and Leah. Moreover, may we lead lives
dedicated to the pursuit of holiness and the practice of righteousness and justice.
Vchane yihi ratzon.
Shabbat Shalom,
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on YUTorah.org using the search criteria of Etengoff and the
parashas name.
The email list, bchasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always
happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to
have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].
*** My audio shiurim for Women on Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis, may be found
at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchiks English language audio shiurim (MP3
format)
spanning
the
years
1958-1984.
They
are
available
here:
http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.
**Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

Akeidat Yitzhak: The Greatness of Yitzhak

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Akeidat Yitzhak: The Greatness of Yitzhak

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Parashat Vayera 5776, 2015

Akeidat Yitzhak: The Greatness of Yitzhak

You might also like