Difference between revisions of "Yitzchak's Role in the Akeidah/2"
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<p>Yitzchak willingly went to be sacrificed.</p> | <p>Yitzchak willingly went to be sacrificed.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews1-13-2-4" data-aht="source">Josephus</a><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews1-13-2-4" data-aht="source">Antiquities of the Jews 1:13:2-4</a><a href="Josephus" data-aht="parshan">About Josephus</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="Pseudo-Philo32-2-4" data-aht="source">Pseudo-Philo</a><a href="Pseudo-Philo32-2-4" data-aht="source">32:2-4</a><a href="Pseudo-Philo" data-aht="parshan">About Pseudo-Philo</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TargumYerushalmiNeofitiBereshit22-8" data-aht="source">Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti)</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiNeofitiBereshit22-8" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:8-10</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiNeofitiShemot12-42" data-aht="source">Shemot 12:42</a><a href="Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti)" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti)</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BavliSanhedrin89b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sanhedrin</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin89b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 89b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah56-8" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah</a><a href="BereshitRabbah55-4" data-aht="source">55:4</a><a href="BereshitRabbah56-4" data-aht="source">56:4</a><a href="BereshitRabbah56-8" data-aht="source">56:8</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TanchumaVayera23" data-aht="source">Tanchuma</a><a href="TanchumaVayera23" data-aht="source">Vayera 23</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About the Tanchuma</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="PirkeiDeRabbiEliezer31" data-aht="source">Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer</a><a href="PirkeiDeRabbiEliezer31" data-aht="source">31</a><a href="Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer" data-aht="parshan">About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="LekachTovBereshit22-1" data-aht="source">Lekach Tov</a><a href="LekachTovBereshit22-1" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:1</a><a href="LekachTovBereshit22-6-8" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:6-8</a><a href="R. Toviah b. Eliezer (Lekach Tov)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Toviah b. Eliezer</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit22-8" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit22-8" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:8</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit22-8-9" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit22-8-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:8-9</a><a href="RadakBereshit22-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:19</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RSRHirschBereshit22-37-9" data-aht="source">R. S.R. Hirsch</a><a href="RSRHirschBereshit22-37-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:3, 7-9</a><a href="R. Samson Raphael Hirsch" data-aht="parshan">About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="HoilMosheBereshit22-5" data-aht="source">Hoil Moshe</a><a href="HoilMosheBereshit22-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:5</a><a href="R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi (Hoil Moshe)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi</a></multilink></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews1-13-2-4" data-aht="source">Josephus</a><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews1-13-2-4" data-aht="source">Antiquities of the Jews 1:13:2-4</a><a href="Josephus" data-aht="parshan">About Josephus</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="Pseudo-Philo32-2-4" data-aht="source">Pseudo-Philo</a><a href="Pseudo-Philo32-2-4" data-aht="source">32:2-4</a><a href="Pseudo-Philo" data-aht="parshan">About Pseudo-Philo</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TargumYerushalmiNeofitiBereshit22-8" data-aht="source">Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti)</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiNeofitiBereshit22-8" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:8-10</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiNeofitiShemot12-42" data-aht="source">Shemot 12:42</a><a href="Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti)" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti)</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BavliSanhedrin89b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sanhedrin</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin89b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 89b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah56-8" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah</a><a href="BereshitRabbah55-4" data-aht="source">55:4</a><a href="BereshitRabbah56-4" data-aht="source">56:4</a><a href="BereshitRabbah56-8" data-aht="source">56:8</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TanchumaVayera23" data-aht="source">Tanchuma</a><a href="TanchumaVayera23" data-aht="source">Vayera 23</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About the Tanchuma</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="PirkeiDeRabbiEliezer31" data-aht="source">Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer</a><a href="PirkeiDeRabbiEliezer31" data-aht="source">31</a><a href="Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer" data-aht="parshan">About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="LekachTovBereshit22-1" data-aht="source">Lekach Tov</a><a href="LekachTovBereshit22-1" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:1</a><a href="LekachTovBereshit22-6-8" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:6-8</a><a href="R. Toviah b. Eliezer (Lekach Tov)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Toviah b. Eliezer</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit22-8" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit22-8" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:8</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit22-8-9" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit22-8-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:8-9</a><a href="RadakBereshit22-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:19</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RSRHirschBereshit22-37-9" data-aht="source">R. S.R. Hirsch</a><a href="RSRHirschBereshit22-37-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:3, 7-9</a><a href="R. Samson Raphael Hirsch" data-aht="parshan">About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="HoilMosheBereshit22-5" data-aht="source">Hoil Moshe</a><a href="HoilMosheBereshit22-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:5</a><a href="R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi (Hoil Moshe)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi</a></multilink></mekorot> | ||
| − | <point><b>How old was Yitzchak at the akeidah?</b> All of these sources assume that Yitzchak was old enough to fully comprehend what was going on | + | <point><b>How old was Yitzchak at the akeidah?</b> All of these sources assume that Yitzchak was old enough to fully comprehend what was going on and capable of resisting his father had he wanted.  Most assume that he was a full grown adult with Josephus asserting that Yitzchak was 25, and Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti) placing him at 37.<fn>See also <multilink><a href="SederOlamRabbah1" data-aht="source">Seder Olam Rabbah</a><a href="SederOlamRabbah1" data-aht="source">1</a><a href="Seder Olam Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Seder Olam Rabbah</a></multilink>. This age is reached by assuming that the juxtaposition of the story of the Akeidah and Sarah's death means that the two occurred one right after the other.  As Sarah died at the age of 127 and Yitzchak was born when she was 90, this suggests that he was 37 at the Akeidah.</fn></point> |
| − | <point><b>Did he know what was to happen?</b></point> | + | <point><b>Did he know what was to happen?</b> These sources assume that Yitzchak was well aware of what was to transpire, but differ regarding at what point and via whom he was told:<br/> |
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><b>Prior to test </b>– Bavli Sanhedrin, Bereshit Rabbah, and Lekach Tov all suggest that not only was Yitzchak aware, but that the entire trial was his initiative.<fn>They present Yishmael as gloating that he was circumcised when older, while Yitzchak, being just 8 days old, had no choice in the matter. Yitzchak responds that had Hashem asked, he would be willing to sacrifice not just one limb but his entire body.</fn> </li> | ||
| + | <li>En route – Tanchuma suggests that when Yitzchak noticed the absence of the sheep en route, he suspected the truth and Avraham confirmed his suspicions.<fn>See also Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, R"Y Bekhor Shor and Radak.</fn></li> | ||
| + | <li>On site – Josephus suggests that Yitzchak first found out that he was to be the sacrifice after the altar was built.</li> | ||
| + | </ul></point> | ||
<point><b>Yitzchak's question: "וְאַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה"</b></point> | <point><b>Yitzchak's question: "וְאַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה"</b></point> | ||
<point><b>"אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי"</b></point> | <point><b>"אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי"</b></point> | ||
Version as of 04:28, 13 November 2019
Yitzchak's Role in the Akeidah
Exegetical Approaches
Willing Participant
Yitzchak willingly went to be sacrificed.
Sources:Josephus, Pseudo-Philo, Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti), Bavli Sanhedrin, Bereshit Rabbah, Tanchuma, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Lekach Tov, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Radak, R. S.R. Hirsch, Hoil Moshe
How old was Yitzchak at the akeidah? All of these sources assume that Yitzchak was old enough to fully comprehend what was going on and capable of resisting his father had he wanted. Most assume that he was a full grown adult with Josephus asserting that Yitzchak was 25, and Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti) placing him at 37.1
Did he know what was to happen? These sources assume that Yitzchak was well aware of what was to transpire, but differ regarding at what point and via whom he was told:
- Prior to test – Bavli Sanhedrin, Bereshit Rabbah, and Lekach Tov all suggest that not only was Yitzchak aware, but that the entire trial was his initiative.2
- En route – Tanchuma suggests that when Yitzchak noticed the absence of the sheep en route, he suspected the truth and Avraham confirmed his suspicions.3
- On site – Josephus suggests that Yitzchak first found out that he was to be the sacrifice after the altar was built.
Yitzchak's question: "וְאַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה"
"אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי"
"וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם"
"וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו"
Why was it necessary to bind Yitzchak?
"וַיָּשׇׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו"
"וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם"
Motivations
