Bereshit 22:12 states: וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַל־תִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָֽדְךָ֙ אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וְאַל־תַּ֥עַשׂ ל֖וֹ מְא֑וּמָּה כִּ֣י ׀ עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־יְרֵ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אַ֔תָּה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֛כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִידְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ And he said, “Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear Gd, since you have not withheld your son, your favoredContinue reading “Rabbi Menahem Mendel Schneerson: “Now I know that you fear Gd” as consolation”
Monthly Archives: August 2020
Don’t the rabbis care about ethics?
Most Rabbinic commentators of the Chumash (midrashic, medieval, and later periods) are of the opinion that Isaac during the Akedah is a fully grown adult who, once he figured out that he was going to be the sacrifice, became a willing participant in the ordeal. (For a summary of the various opinions regarding Isaac’s age,Continue reading “Don’t the rabbis care about ethics?”
The first rule of prophecy is that you don’t talk about your prophecy
It’s strange that Rivka never tells Yitzhak that she was told by God that Yaakov was to become the greater son, even though it probably would have made her life a lot easier. There seems to be a general pattern among the avot/imahot (patriarchs/matriarchs) that prophecies they receive are kept secret and shared with othersContinue reading “The first rule of prophecy is that you don’t talk about your prophecy”
The Binding of Isaac from Abraham’s Perspective — a Great Pink Slip From the Sky?
Human sacrifice, as horrible as it is, has a certain logic to it. There are times when an ultimate price is needed to be paid to the divine in order to obtain great salvation, and for any parent, that ultimate price would be their own child. Even among the scholars who hold that the CarthaginiansContinue reading “The Binding of Isaac from Abraham’s Perspective — a Great Pink Slip From the Sky?”
Noam Elimelech: Abraham knew all along that Isaac will not be killed
The Noam Elimelech is a commentary on the Torah written by one of the early Hasidic masters, Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (1717–March 11, 1787) In another post, I noted the Noam Elimelech’s reading of the Akedah as being that both Avraham and Itzhak knew all along that G-d did not intend for Itzhak to beContinue reading “Noam Elimelech: Abraham knew all along that Isaac will not be killed”
Rabbi Truboff on Prof. Koller’s “Unbinding Isaac”: The Craziness of Love
For people who follow contemporary Jewish orthodox scholarship on the Akeidah, Prof. Aaron Koller’s new book “Unbinding Isaac: The Significance of the Akedah for Modern Jewish Thought” has been generating a lot of interesting discussions. One of the better ones is a response by Rabbi Zach Truboff in Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill’s (always awesome) blog,Continue reading “Rabbi Truboff on Prof. Koller’s “Unbinding Isaac”: The Craziness of Love”
What is a “Jewish” approach to the Binding of Isaac?
Even within traditional rabbinic literature, there is no one Jewish approach to the Akedah. Rather, there is a range of approaches and a continuing conversation over the ages. Rabbis famously disagree about everything, so it’s not a surprise that they also disagree about the Akeidah. While the disagreements are bounded by the text of BereshitContinue reading “What is a “Jewish” approach to the Binding of Isaac?”
Did Abraham criticise G-d during the Akeidah? Rashi vs. The Shnei Luchot Habrit
Abraham during the Akeidah is often brought as the prime example of a man with unshakeable faith. Abraham, according both scholarly and popular imaginations, is viewed as being enthusiastic and unhesitating in rising to fulfill of G-d’s divine command to sacrifice his son Isaac despite the command giving rise to a deep moral quandary andContinue reading “Did Abraham criticise G-d during the Akeidah? Rashi vs. The Shnei Luchot Habrit”
All of Avraham’s conversations with G-d before the Akedah
G-d makes a lot of promises to Avraham, starting from “Lech Lecha”, when He tells Avraham to leave his home and go to Canaan. One thing you may have not have noticed is that G-d makes some kind of promise to Avraham in (almost) every single conversation they have. There is exactly one exception toContinue reading “All of Avraham’s conversations with G-d before the Akedah”
Avraham’s feelings in sequence
A close reading of Rashi’s comments through the Akeidah narrative in Bereshit 22:1-19 reveals that Rashi provides a running commentary on Avraham’s feelings and thoughts during the Akeidah, which can be broken up into four distinct phases: I – During the night vision II – The morning after III – Climbing Mount Moriah IV –Continue reading “Avraham’s feelings in sequence”
Akedat Yitzhak Takes 