Yitzchak's Role in the Akeidah/2

Yitzchak's Role in the Akeidah

Exegetical Approaches

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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), 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.  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" – Many of these sources suggest that it was in 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.⁴

"וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם" – According to this approach, Avraham did not mean to deceive Yitzchak in these words; he was simply 

"וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו"

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 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, this suggests that he was 37 at the Akeidah.

² 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.

³ See also Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, R"Y Bekhor Shor and Radak.

⁴ The commentators note 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.  This enables them to suggest that Avraham is not merely saying that Hashem will show them the sheep, but that he is actively hinting that Yitzchak might take its place.