In Genesis 8:17, the Torah writes, “be fertile and increase on earth.”1 This is the first commandment in the Torah, the commandment to procreate. Yet after all of Abraham and Sarah’s struggles to have a child, in Genesis 22:2, G-d commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. It is written: “...Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.”2 If Isaac was destined to die, we wonder why G-d promised Abraham that Isaac would sire children, as it says, “it is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued for you” (Genesis 21:12).3 R. Obadiah ben Jacob Seforno (16th century Italy) derives from this verse that not only would Isaac have children, but that his progeny would rule over Ishmael’s. If Abraham knew that an important nation was to come from Isaac, how could he consider killing Isaac?
The easy answer is that clearly Abraham had not read Seforno. But for those who aren’t satisfied by that answer, G-d’s promise to Abraham about Ishmael’s greatness is written in Genesis 21:18, but Abraham is not promised the blessing until Genesis 22:17-18: “I will bestow my blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea shore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command.”4
That is, the akeda story occurred after G-d’s promise to Abraham about Ishmael, but before His promise about Isaac. I would argue that Isaac’s prophecy did not come until after the akeda because it was the akeda that caused Isaac to deserve the blessings. Through the sacrifice, Isaac was considered worthy of ruling over Ishmael. It took a great act of discipline and perhaps foresight on Abraham’s part to go through with the akeda. Isaac’s blessing did not just happen on its own, rather it followed from Abraham’s sacrifice. Some may say that Abraham’s discipline and foresight were the essence of his humanity.
The fifteenth century scholar, R. Joseph Albo comments on human nature itself. He said that in the creation story in Genesis at the end of each day G-d saw what he made, and said it was good. The exception to the rule is the creation of man. Albo explains that there are two different types of perfection- that of nature and that of man. Nature exists in the present hence its very existence is its perfection. Man, however, was created imperfect and hence he has a future perfection to work towards in his life.5
The faith that Abraham had during the akeda was multilayered, it involved both discipline and foresight. We can learn about Abraham’s humanity and merit from the very fact that he was tested. Yet the question presents itself: what does the Torah mean by, “G-d put Abraham to the test”6 (Genesis 22:1)? How could G-d do such a thing to Abraham?
Ramban uses the phrase nisa (tested) to show the measure of Abraham’s greatness. He reasons that because G-d only tests tzadikim, Abraham must have been a great tzadik to be tested in such a drastic way. Perhaps Abraham’s attributes of mercy and kindness allowed him to merit this test. G-d was not acting cruel in asking Abraham to sacrifice his son, argues Ramban; rather, He is showing Abraham an unusual honor.
Seforno holds that being tested was to Abraham’s strength. Not only was G-d testing Abraham, but Abraham was testing G-d. Because Abraham was created in G-d’s image to be like Him, Abraham’s faith brought him closer to G-d. G-d was testing Abraham’s ability to imitate Him.
Ibn Ezra wonders why Abraham brings along other young men for the journey, but does not include them on the mountain during the ceremony itself. He suggests that just as they weren’t privy to see G-d’s actions, G-d’s “testing Abraham” is not only for the present but for the future as well. At the time of the akeda, it was a private act; the other young men did not see it because they did not ascend the mountain (according to the Gaon). Thus in the future, the other nations will not necessarily see that Israel is the chosen nation.
Others say that the very act of bringing Isaac up for an Olah sacrifice was an act of prophecy for Abraham. However, Abraham, being human and fallible, missed part of the prophecy and an angel had to come and command him not to sacrifice his son. Others say that Abraham did not mean to sacrifice his son at all. Ibn Ezra also asks a different question about the akeda: how could G-d rescind the command to sacrifice Isaac? In his answer, Ibn Ezra points out another rescinded command; G-d first commanded that the bechorim, the eldest sons from every family, would be the caretakers of the Temple, but later He transferred that duty to the Levites. If G-d could rescind that command, he reasons, G-d could rescind the command to Abraham to slaughter his son.
In sum, the akeda is a complex Biblical story which raises many difficult questions. Though our sages have grappled with these questions for centuries and suggested many different possibilities, surely they would all agree that Abraham took a leap of faith and was rewarded by being the father of two great nations.
1 Jewish Publication Society Hebrew-English Tanakh, second edition, 2003
2 ibid.
3 ibid.
4 ibid.
5 Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits, Essential Essays on Judaism, A Jewish Sexual Ethics p. 121
6 Jewish Publication Society Hebrew-English Tanakh, second edition, 2003
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