Yitzchak's Role in the Akeidah/2

Yitzchak's Role in the Akeidah

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Willing Participant

Yitzchak willingly went to be sacrificed.

Sources:JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1:13:2-4About Josephus, Pseudo-Philo32:2-4About Pseudo-Philo, Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti)Bereshit 22:8-10Shemot 12:42About Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti), R. Levi in Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 89bAbout the Bavli, Bereshit Rabbah55:456:456:8About Bereshit Rabbah, TanchumaVayera 23About the Tanchuma, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer31About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Lekach TovBereshit 22:1Bereshit 22:6-8About R. Toviah b. Eliezer, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 22:8About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RadakBereshit 22:8-9Bereshit 22:19About R. David Kimchi, R. S.R. HirschBereshit 22:3, 7-9About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, Hoil MosheBereshit 22:5About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

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.  In fact, most assume that he was a full grown adult, with Josephus asserting that Yitzchak was 25¹ and Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti) placing him at 37.²

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 – R. Levi in Bavli Sanhedrin, Bereshit Rabbah, and Lekach Tov all assert that Yitzchak was not only cognizant that he was to be the offering, but that he even initiated the trial.³
• En route – Tanchuma suggests that when Yitzchak noticed the absence of the sheep en route, he suspected the truth⁴ and Avraham confirmed his suspicions.⁵
• On site – Josephus suggests that Yitzchak first found out that he was to be the sacrifice after the altar was built.

"אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי" – Many of these sources suggest that it was with these words that Avraham hinted to his son that he was to be the offering, saying in effect, "Hashem will show us the sheep, [who is to be] you, my son.⁶

"וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו"

"וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם" – According to this approach, Avraham did not mean to deceive Yitzchak in these words; he was simply expressing his hope that they would both indeed be returning.

Why was it necessary to bind Yitzchak?

"וַיָּשׇׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו"

"וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם"

Motivations

Unwilling, Unaware Victim

Sources:Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 22:6-8Bereshit First Commentary 22:19About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 22:1Bereshit 22:8About R. Avraham Maimonides, Abarbanel, Shadal

Ambivalent

¹ Cf. Jubilees who presents Yitzchak as 23.

² See also Seder Olam Rabbah1About Seder Olam Rabbah. 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, Yitzchal would be 37 at the Akeidah.

³ They present Yishmael as gloating to Yitzchak of his superior righteousness, for he was circumcised when thirteen and capable of protesting, 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.

⁴ R. HIrsch suggests instead that it was the seriousness and silence of Avraham throughout the three day journey which aroused his suspicions.

⁵ See also Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, R"Y Bekhor Shor and Radak who all agree that Yitzchak and Avraham's conversation in verses 7-8 marked the turning point when Yitzchak realized the true plan. Both R"Y Bekhor Shor and Radak, however, claim that Avraham did not explicitly reveal Hashem's plan and only hinted to it, but Yitzchak grasped the truth.

⁶ The commentators might be picking up on the fact that the word "בְּנִי" does not come at the beginning of Avraham's speech, as one would expect if he was just saying "בְּנִי" as a way of replying to Yitzchak.  The word's placement at the end of the sentence is what enables them to suggest that Avraham paused after the words "אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה", thereby hinting that Hashem will show that the sheep is actually Yitzchak.
This reading of the phrase recalls the similar Midrashic reading of Yaakov's reply to Yitzchak when asked who he was in the story of the taking of the blessing.  The verse has Yaakov answer, "אָנֹכִי עֵשָׂו בְּכֹרֶךָ" which the Midrash reads as "אָנֹכִי (יעקב) - עֵשָׂו (הוא) בְּכֹרֶךָ", similarly inserting a pause to change the meaning. [See ]