Yitzchak – Overview

Yitzchak is the only of the Avot who is neither born into a polytheistic household (as was Avraham) nor later forced to live with the idolatrous members of his extended family (as was Yaakov). In fact, it seems that he never leaves Israel at all.  Moreover, when Yishmael appears to be a negative influence, he is removed from the home,¹ leaving Yitzchak under the sole influences of his parents. How did this sheltered environment impact Yitzchak's religious identity? Though he was still exposed to the polytheism of Canaan, did this relative isolation make him more solid in his beliefs, or might it be that it is direct challenges to one's value system that actually strengthen one more in the long run?

What role did Yitzchak play during the Akeidah? Was he a willing participant or an unwilling victim?  Was the trial just as much (if not more) of a test of faith for him as it was for Avraham?  These questions are intricately related to another set of unknowns in the text.  How old was Yitzchak during the event?  Was he aware of the plan all along, or only at the last minute? See Yitzchak's Role in the Akeidah for elaboration.

• Unknowing, unwilling victim – Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 22:6-8About R. Avraham ibn Ezra presents Yitzchak as a youth, aged 13 or so during the episode,² and suggests that he was unaware of the plan³ and was forced to be sacrificed against his will.⁴
• Aware and willing participant – In contrast, many sources⁵ suggest that Yitzchak was an adult,⁶ fully cognizant of what was going on, and a totally willing participant.  R. Levi in Bavli Sanhedrin 89bSanhedrin 89bAbout the Bavli goes further to suggest that the entire idea to be offered as a sacrifice stemmed from Yitzchak himself!⁷
• Ambivalent – Bereshit Rabbah 56:456:4About Bereshit Rabbah takes a middle position, presenting Yitzchak as having doubts,⁸ calling to his father in the hopes that he will have mercy but nonetheless ultimately going "together" with Avraham to be sacrificed.

Did Yitzchak keep all the mitzvot? The issue has been hotly debated for generations. On one hand, Yitzchak lived centuries before the Torah was given and many of its laws would be meaningless to him, suggesting that he did not keep them. On the other hand, it seems paradoxical to conceive of one of the founders of a religion not observing even its most basic commandments. Though Yitzchak himself never appears to explicitly transgress any commandment, with the exception of circumcision, he also does not explicitly observe any.  For sources and a full discussion of the issue, see Avot and Mitzvot.

Bereshit 24:63 states, "וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה". Commentators debate the meaning of this phrase and whether it refers to a religious or mundane pursuit:

• Prayer – Bavli Berakhot 26bBerakhot 26bAbout the Bavli⁹ explains that "לָשׂוּחַ" relates to the word שיחה, conversation, and suggests that the verse is sharing that Yitzchak had been praying.¹⁰ RambanBereshit 24:62About R. Moshe b. Nachman and ShadalBereshit 24:62About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto add that Yitzchak had specifically gone to "בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי"‎¹¹ to pray as this was a sacred site where an angel had appeared. As such, the two verses highlight Yitzchak's holy devotion to Hashem.
• Mundane pursuits – Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 24:63About R. Avraham ibn Ezra and RashbamBereshit 24:63About R. Shemuel b. Meir, in contrast, understand "לָשׂוּחַ" to be related to the word "שיח", plant. Thus, Ibn Ezra suggests that Yitzchak had gone for a stroll among the bushes, while Rashbam maintains that he had been planting in the field.  According to both, the verse is simply explaining how it came about that Yitzchak was nearby when Rivka arrived.
• Mourning – It is also possible that the field spoken of is "מְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה" and that Yitzchak had gone to mourn his mother. If so, the verse is connected to the end of the story, "וַיִּקַּח אֶת רִבְקָה... וַיִּנָּחֵם יִצְחָק אַחֲרֵי אִמּוֹ".

See the discussion above.

See Avraham and Yitzchak for a discussion of the many ways in which Yitzchak's deeds appear to merely mirror or complete those of his father. Several modern scholars¹² note that this is one of Yitzchak's biggest contributions. In contrast to his trailblazing father, Yitzchak's strength lay in his preserving the tradition, taking Avraham's innovations and giving them continuity and permanence.

D. Sabato¹³ notes that Yitzchak stands out from both Avraham and Yaakov in his being a man of the land. He engages in agriculture rather than shepherding, spending his time sowing and working the land. In contrast to his father, the nomad, he stays put in Israel, becoming a permanent settler.¹⁴ As such, it is he who acts to truly realize the promise of "זרע וארץ".

One of the traits that distinguishes Yitzchak is his perseverance. This is exemplified in several stories:

• Praying for his wife – Rivka is barren for a full twenty years, yet Yitzchak does not give up on her,¹⁵ but rather continues to pray until Hashem gives him children through her specifically.
• Digging of wells – Bereshit 26 describes Yitzchak's non-tiring pursuit of water in face of Philistine hostility. Despite the continued disputes, he continues digging until he prevails.

How, if at all, was Yitzchak's relationship with Avraham affected by the Akeidah? Nowhere does the Torah explicitly address the question, but several phrases in the story might be mined for clues:

• "וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו" – The text's repeated emphasis on the fact that "וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו" (Bereshit 22:6, 8, and 19) might suggest that, throughout, the two were of one mind and one heart.  The final appearance of this phrase contains a slight twist, reading: "וַיֵּלְכוּ יַחְדָּו".  Can anything be learned from the omission of the word "שְׁנֵיהֶם"?
• More distant – Perhaps the new formulation is meant to hint that, despite Avraham and Yitzchak still being close after the near-sacrifice, something was nonetheless amiss.
• Closer – Alternatively, the omission might suggest that the two got even closer; what used to be "two" is now just "together," as if the experience somehow tied them into one being.
• Including others – R. HirschBereshit 22:19About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch more simply explains that this phrase includes not only father and son, but also the youths who had accompanied them. The Torah highlights that despite the lofty experience, it did not cause either Avraham or Yitzchak to be aloof or act superior to others.  Not only was their bond not affected, but their ability to relate to the world around them remained intact as well.
• "וַיָּשׇׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו... וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְרָהָם בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע" – Where was Yitzchak?  Does the omission of Yitzchak imply that father and son separated, and if so, is this an indication of a ruined relationship?
• No separation – Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 22:19About R. Avraham ibn Ezra and RadakBereshit 22:19About R. David Kimchi explain that Yitzchak's presence is simply assumed by the text and that father and son returned together.
• Parting of ways – Midrashic sources suggest that Yitzchak either went to learn Torah or up to Gan Eden, while AbarbanelBereshit 22:11About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel suggests that Avraham sent Yitzchak ahead to tell his mother what had happened and to ease her worry.  Either way, the verse does mean to make any negative statement about the father-son relationship.
• Hurt relationship – Alternatively, one could suggest that Yitzchak's relationship with his father was never the same after the story.  The two needed distance and might have lived apart.

When Rivka weds Yitzchak, the texts shares, "וַיְבִאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהֱלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת רִבְקָה וַתְּהִי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ וַיִּנָּחֵם יִצְחָק אַחֲרֵי אִמּוֹ."  Why does the Torah find it necessary to share that Yitzchak was comforted after his mother's death? What might this suggest about Yitzchak's relationship with his mother?

• Particularly close – RadakBereshit 24:67About R. David Kimchi and RambanBereshit 24:67About R. Moshe b. Nachman imply that the two were particularly close and even though several years had passed since his mother's death, Yitzchak was only consoled when he married Rivka.
• Not unique – RashiBereshit 24:67About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki suggests that Yitzchak's reaction to his mother's death was not necessarily unique, but is simply the "the way of the world."  One naturally clings to one's mother while alive and when she dies one gets comfort from one's wife.  If so, though, it is not clear why the Torah would need to go out of its way to share this fact.
• Longed for her righteousness and blessing – HaKekav VeHabballahBereshit 24:67About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg, working off the Midrash60:16About Bereshit Rabbah that Sarah's tent had been filled with blessings while alive,¹⁶ suggests that it was Sarah's good deeds and the ensuing blessing that Yitzchak missed and it was these that Rivka replaced.

Bereshit 21 details how Yishmael is rejected and banished from home, while Yitzchak is chosen to inherit. Several sources suggest that this decision stemmed from Yishmael's being perceived as a threat to Yitzchak. [See Banishment of Hagar and Yishmael for details.]

• Spiritual threat – According to many sources, Sarah believed that Yishmael needed to be expelled to ensure that Yitzchak did not learn from his negative ways (which included idolatry, illicit sexual acts, murder and scornful or degrading speech) . R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 21:9-10About R. Avraham Maimonides explains that Sarah feared that she and Avraham might die while Yitzchak was still young, leaving him to grow up under the sole influence of Yishmael, with no contrasting role models.
• Physical threat – R. Levi,53:11About Bereshit Rabbah RashiBereshit 21:9About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer30About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer all maintain that Yishmael had actually attempted to kill Yitzchak. As such, Yishmael's banishment was also necessary to physically protect Yitzchak.
• Monetary threat – According to RadakBereshit 21:9-11About R. David Kimchi, RalbagBereshit Beur HaParashah 21:8-10About R. Levi b. Gershom, and SfornoBereshit 21:9-10About R. Ovadyah Sforno, Sarah viewed Yishmael as a threat to Yitzchak's inheritance and wanted Avraham to disown him and prove that Yitzchak was the sole heir.
• No threat – R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Bereshit 21:9About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor) uniquely claims that Yishmael was not really a negative influence and Sarah only mistakenly assumed that he was mocking her.

Torah does not say anything about the siblings' interactions or relationship after the expulsion except to share that they jointly buried Avraham. This might indicate that, in the long term, Yishmael did not harbor extensive ill will towards either his father or half-brother. Interestingly,  Bereshit Rabbah60:1464:3About Bereshit Rabbah presents Yitzchak as being the one to orchestrate a reconciliation of the family, having him bring Hagar (identified by the midrash with Keturah) to remarry his father after Sarah's death. [For elaboration, see Avraham's Many Wives.] Though the midrash does not mention Yishmael, it might suggest that he, too, renewed his relationship with the family.

Bereshit 24 expounds at length about the search for an appropriate wife for Yitzchak. Somewhat surprisingly, Yitzchak is absent from almost the entire episode as Avraham sends his servant, rather than Yitzchak himself, to find the appropriate woman from Aram Naharayim.  Why does not Yitzchak himself go?

• Norm of the time – It is possible that it was simply the norm of the time for a father to arrange the marriage of his son, as marriages were often alliances between families and not just a relationship between a man and wife. [See חתן / התחתן that in Tanakh, the two parties who are "מתחתן" are either the father of the bride and father of the groom or the father-in-law and son-in- law.  It is possible that the latter only occurs when a father is not in the picture.]
• Not allowed to leave Israel – R. Yitzchak in Bereshit Rabbah64:3About Bereshit Rabbah implies that after his near sacrifice during the Akeidah, Yitzchak took on holy status, like an "עולה תמימה", and it was prohibited for him to defile himself by leaving the sanctity of Israel.¹⁷
• Passive character – Several modern scholars,¹⁸ in contrast, suggest that Yitzchak's absence from the story relates to a larger trend in the Yitzchak narratives, his portrayal as a generally passive character who follows his father rather than trailblazing on his own. [See above, though, that this need not be read negatively.].

What were the main criteria when choosing Yitzchak's spouse? Was lineage, beliefs or character most important? For elaboration, see A Wife for Yitzchak.

• Lineage – RashiBereshit 24:21About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki and RashbamBereshit 24:1About R. Shemuel b. Meir claim that the most important factor was that the woman be related to Avraham.
• Beliefs – According to R. SaadiaCommentary Bereshit 24:4About R. Saadia Gaon, proper belief was crucial.  Though Avraham's family, like the surrounding Canaanites, were idolatrous, there was more of a chance that they would convert than anyone else.
• Character – According to RambanBereshit 24:7About R. Moshe b. Nachman, R. Yosef ibn KaspiTirat Kesef pp. 105-107About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, and RanDerashot HaRan 5About R. Nissim Gerondi, in contrast, the most critical factor was that Yitzchak's wife have a generous and kind nature and be of upright moral character. Ran distinguishes between idolatrous beliefs which can be rectified through education and evil character traits which are ingrained and hereditary.  As such, it is the latter which is more important

Bereshit 24:67 speaks of Yitzchak and Rivka's marriage, sharing, "וַתְּהִי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ".  Why does the text emphasize that Yitzchak loved Rivka, and why is this first mentioned only after the marriage?¹⁹

• The text might be highlighting that despite not having chosen Rivka on his own and not knowing her before the wedding, Yitzchak still loved her.
• R. Hirsch adds that the fact that love follows marriage shows how Rivka and Yitzchak's love grew with the years. As their marriage was not built on lust, but on compatibility and shared values, it grew with time.

Yitzchak is the only one of the forefathers to not take an additional wife.  Despite Rivka being barren for twenty years, neither spouse suggests that he take a maidservant in her stead. Instead, Yitzchak prayed, "לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ". What does this phrase mean?  Why does Yitzchak not follow his father in also wedding a servant?

• Radak explains that due to Yitzchak's great love for Rivka, he did not want to take a second wife and so he prayed for his wife, that she be his sole wife and the one to bear him a child.
• Rashi suggests, instead, that each spouse faced the other, implying that each prayed for their partner.  This highlights the unique and selfless love the couple had, each praying not for themselves but for the other.²⁰

The story of Rivka's deceiving of Yitzchak to ensure that Yaakov received the blessing raises an important question about the couple's relationship.  If they disagreed about their children and who deserved the blessing, why did they not simply discuss the matter?

• Rivka insecure – NetzivBereshit 24:64-65About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin claims that from the first moment they met, Rivka felt unworthy of Yitzchak.  Thus, she never related to him as an equal and lacked the confidence to speak her mind to him.
• Compounded mistake – RambanBereshit 27:4About R. Moshe b. Nachman suggests that Rivka had not shared with Yitzchak the contents of the prophecy of "the elder shall serve the younger".²¹ As time passed, though, it became more and more difficult to reveal the prophecy and its significance, especially given Yitzchak's love for Esav.
• Did communicate – It is also possible that the couple did discuss the issue, even multiple times, but that they simply were never able to reach a consensus.

In several stories, Yitzchak appears to be acted upon, leading many to portray him as a relatively passive or weak character. Many have further noted that he seems to simply follow his father, repeating his deeds without contributing anything new. Is this the only way to read these stories? Moreover, need his seeming passivity be viewed as a negative trait?

• Like father like son?  Is it true that Yitzchak merely lives in his father's shadow; did he not innovate anything of his own?

• Preserver of tradition – See above that modern scholars²⁴ note that Yitzchak's following of his father is not a flaw but a necessity without which Avraham's accomplishments would have never become entrenched.
• Paving a new way – See above that D. Sabato,²⁵ in contrast, notes that Yitzchak did not merely follow but also innovated, becoming an agriculturist rather than a shepherd, leaving his mark on the land in a way that Avraham did not.
• Finding a wife – See the discussion above regarding whether or not Yitzchak's absence from his matchmaking need be read as a reflection of a passive nature.
• Akeidat Yitzchak – See discussion above regarding whether Yitzchak was an unwilling victim or a willing participant, equal to Avraham in passing the test.
• Unaware of Esav's character? – See above regarding whether Yitzchak was blind to, or well aware of, Esav's true character.

How is one to understand Yitzchak's desire to bless Esav? Did not the prophecy of the "the elder shall serve the younger" prove that Yaakov, not Esav, was Hashem's choice? Should he be faulted for desiring to bless Esav?  [See Why Bless Esav for a full discussion of the issue.]

• Justified favoritism – According to RambanBereshit 27:4About R. Moshe b. Nachman, Esav was not a particularly wicked character, and thus his status as firstborn sufficed to make Yitzchak want to give him the blessing. Moreover, according to Ramban, Rivka had never shared the prophecy with Yitzchak so he cannot be faulted for not heeding Hashem's wishes.
• Mistaken favoritism – Bereshit Rabbah64:3About Bereshit Rabbah, TanchumaToledot 8About the Tanchuma, and RashiBereshit 25:28About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki all assert that Yitzchak was blind to Esav's faults and did not realize that he was unworthy of the blessing. Esav had actively misled his father into thinking that he was a righteous person.
• Hoped to bless both – According to R. HirschBereshit 27:1About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch and MalbimBereshit 27:1About R. Meir Leibush Weiser, Yitzchak had assumed that his two sons would share in the leadership of the nation, with Yaakov taking on the spiritual role (and receiving the blessing of Avraham) and Esav caring for the physical needs (thus meriting the material blessing).
• Esav needed it more – R. MaimonBereshit 26:34About R. Avraham Maimonides suggests that Yitzchak recognized that Esav was not as righteous as his brother, and he hoped that the blessing would help improve his character.