By Michael Mintz - One of our very wonderful Shana Bet Boys

Alas, the final test of Abraham - a tale exalted and explored to the deepest depths by the three monotheistic faiths. And how can they not? It is a story that exhibits the ultimate commitment and audacity for the one and only God by a man living in the absence of any endorsing contemporaries and among a general population of paganism and idolatry. At this point, Abraham became the symbol of willing sacrifice for the unseen God of history. However, despite all the extensive reverence, awe, and romanticism, is it possible that our father, Abraham, a true lonely man of faith, failed to understand the test asked of him? It is possible that the "Knight of Faith" read beyond God's words and attempted to sacrifice his one and only son through oversight? Could the Akeda have been the first Jewish example of religious extremism?

If one studies the text of Genesis 22:2 in which Abraham’s final test is sited, the reader will notice that nowhere in the text does it explicitly mention for Abraham to sacrifice his son. In fact, Rashi on this pasuk clarifies this point by saying that it was not God’s will at all for Abraham to kill Isaac, since Abraham was told to ascend the mountain with Isaac, but also to descend together as well (Midrash Raba). However, be that as it may, this new enlightening nuance still leaves obvious questions surrounding the pasuk and the course of action pursued by Abraham in the event that he misinterpreted his final test. What would this imply given Abraham's constant influence as the model servant of God? Why would God describe Isaac to Abraham in a manner to muster up all the affection he felt for his one and only son? And lastly, why would God flower Abraham with immense blessings if Abraham went against His will?

The resolution is found in one word of the verse: “oleh”. Until this point in the Torah, the term “oleh” is never told or explained to Abraham. Furthermore, Rashi points out that although Abraham spent much of his time building alters, he never once actually brought an offering! Thus, in God’s commandment to Abraham, the word "oleh", and subsequently the action, was left ambiguous. It was not a test of whether or not Abraham would do the action, but of which action Abraham would choose to do for the sake of the Almighty! And so Abraham, a man surrounded by a world of pagan human sacrifice, decided to take his son, his only son, the one he loved, Isaac, and give to God what was most sacred to him. Abraham was willing to do what many at his time did in the name of fake and pagan gods for the sake of the one and only God. Since the term “oleh” was undefined, it could have been deciphered as anything, perhaps a ritual performed on Isaac without involving death similar to a Brit Mila. Nonetheless, Abraham was certain that it was a request for the life of his son, a most extreme act of courage and devotion to the Lord. Therefore, Abraham defined for himself the Oleh Sacrifice through his interpretation in regards to Isaac.

But God did not want the blood of Isaac! It is for this reason that He thwarted Abraham’s attempt at sacrificing Isaac. However, if this was not the intention of God, as Rashi said, then why would God reward Abraham so generously and with such love for trying to slaughter his son?! It is, in fact, through Abraham’s reward that a great message is expunged. After everything Abraham was about to give up in the name of God; when he could have done anything and he chose to end the life of his precious son, God stopped Abraham to show him that although his exhibition of sincerity and serious sacrifice was commendable and of great importance, it was nonetheless unacceptable. Human sacrifice was never to be a practice of Judaism. Moreover, the Jewish description of Hell, Gei [ben] henom, is the valley opposite Har Habayit, where daily child sacrifices took place in the name of pagan lords. We can infer from this that the most valuable thing one can do for God is live for God. In order to expose Abraham to this axiom of the Jewish faith, he was rewarded with the very thing God really wanted from Abraham and from Isaac: life. Not just one life, but lives "…as numberous as the stars of sky and as the sands of the seashore…". Nevertheless, for his groundbreaking devotion, the Almighty rewarded Abraham, but only on the condition that he become a source of life rather than death. Therefore, God gave Abraham the gift of progeny. And within these generations, even in the face of God, one should never take it upon themselves and assume that death is will of God.

That being said, what implications can we utilize in a world like today from this message that God declared several millennia ago? Unfortunately, we live in world without prophecy. Our communication with God is guided by tradition and faith alone. We have witnessed a plethora of serial killers and jihadists claiming to be servants of God, we have recently seen a Jew being called a “Jewish Terrorist” because of horrific acts against both Jew and non-Jew alike, and we have watched certain Jews justify the assassination of a Jewish leader because of political disagreement just fourteen years ago. This was not the world God imagined. The Almighty did not intend for rivers of blood to be cried out in His name, nor did He want human beings to assume the role of executioner without proper trial. Let us learn from Abraham’s extreme interpretation, and eventual failure in his intended act of “oleh” that to be a “Knight of Faith” and a man of justice, the end result in our time should never been the ultimate sacrifice, that as a “light unto the nations”, we must procure the passion of Abraham as well as the wisdom of the Omnipotent, and that lives should flourish rather then falter in the name of God.

Shabbat Shalom