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), R. Levi in Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 89bAbout the Bavli, Bereshit Rabbah55:456:8About 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, R. D"Z Hoffmann, 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,¹ with R. D"Z Hoffmann suggesting that Yitzchak was about 20, Josephus asserting that he was 25² and Targum Yerushalmi (Neofiti) placing him at 37.³

Did he know what was to happen? These sources assume that Yitzchak was 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.⁴
• En route – Tanchuma suggests that when Yitzchak noticed the absence of the sheep en route, he suspected the truth⁵ and Avraham confirmed his suspicions.⁶

"אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי" – Lekach Tov, R"Y Bekhor Shor, and Radak⁷ 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.⁸  Even though Avraham's words were ambiguous, Yitzchak understood the truth.

"וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו" – These sources point to this otherwise seemingly gratuitous phrase⁹ as proof that Yitzchak went willingly, of one mind and one heart with his father. Even after learning that he was to be the offering, Yitzchak continued to walk together with Avraham, one to sacrifice and one to be sacrificed.

"וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם" – This approach might explain this apparent deception in several ways:

• According to Ralbag, Avraham's words were meant to deceive the youths who had accompanied him, but not Yitzchak himself.
• R. Hoffmann, in contrast, suggests that Avraham was simply not yet ready to reveal the truth to Yitzchak and hoped to disclose it slowly.  When he said "נָשׁוּבָה", he was not actively lying as he assumed that he would be bringing Yitzchak's body back for burial.
• Alternatively, Avraham was simply expressing his hope that they would both indeed be returning.¹⁰

Why was it necessary to bind Yitzchak? According to many of these sources,¹¹ it was Yitzchak himself who asked to be bound,¹² lest he move, cause a blemish, and nullify the sacrifice.  The binding came not out of fear that Yitzchak would protest, but from a desire that the offering be kosher.

"וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם" – Abarbanel questions why the chapter presents the trial as a test only for Avraham if Yitzchak himself was aware and capable of resisting. Was it not even more of a test of faith for Yitzchak, who was being asked to offer up his own life?  Moreover, if Yitzchak  was a willing participant why isn't he praised and rewarded?

• R. Hoffmann suggests that being forced to offer one's child as a sacrifice is even harder than self-sacrifice, and so Avraham's test was indeed greater than that of Yitzchak.
• Abarbanel further notes that though in the moment Yitzchak was asked to do the harder task, his distress was to be short-lived. Avraham, in contrast was to have to live with the consequences of his decision and the pain of his loss the rest of his life.¹³

"וַיָּשׇׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו"

Motivations

Unwilling, Unaware Victim

Sources:Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 22:6-8Bereshit First Commentary 22:19About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, Rambam as brought by R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 22:1Bereshit 22:8About R. Avraham Maimonides, AbarbanelBereshit 22:3About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, ShadalBereshit 22:7-8About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto

"וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם" – This statement is one of the key motivations for this approach. The fact that Yitzchak is not mentioned as being the object of the trial (and, moreover, is never rewarded or praised for his role) suggests that he was not an active participant in the test and did not on his own offer himself as a sacrifice.

How old was Yitzchak at the Akeidah? Ibn Ezra presents Yitzchak as a youth during the episode, aged about 13.  He was old enough to aid his father in carrying the supplies and to converse with him,¹⁴ but not yet considered an independent individual and still under the influence of his father and capable of being retrained by him were it to be necessary.¹⁵ 

Did he know what was to happen? According to these sources, Yitzchak was unaware that he was the offering until the very last minute.

"וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם" – Ibn Ezra asserts that Avraham was intentionally deceptive, lest Yitzchak understand that he was to be offered and run away.

Yitzchak carrying the fire-wood – Abarbanel suggests that Avraham had given Yitzchak the firewood to carry, and likely tied it on him, so that the heavy burden would make it difficult for Yitzchak to flee.

"אַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה" – Yitzchak's question need not betray any suspicions on his part and can be read as  simple curiosity.

"אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי" – Ibn Ezra views these words of Avraham, too, as a means to keep the truth from Yitzchak.  Fearing  that if he told Yitzchak that he was to be the offering,Yitzchak would run, Avraham instead only told him that Hashem would supply the sheep.¹⁶

"וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו" – Shadal claims that the repetition of these words need not mean that Yitzchak was aware of the plan and nonetheless willingly accompanied his father.  Rather, the repetition is simply a literary device employed when a narrative has gone on a tangent and then wants to resume where it left off.¹⁷

Why was it necessary to bind Yitzchak? This approach might suggest that this, too, was intended to prevent Yitzchak from resisting.  Abarbanel posits that Avraham led Yitzchak to believe that they were role-playing, with him being placed and bound to the altar like an Olah as a sign of utter subservience to Hashem.  Thus, even when bound, Yitzchak harbored no suspicions and it was only when Avraham lifted the knife that he realized the truth.¹⁸

"וַיָּשׇׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו" – According to these sources, Yitzchak's absence from this verse should not be taken to mean that Yitzchak's unwilling ordeal caused a rift between him and that Avraham therefore returned alone:

• Ibn Ezra suggests that Yitzchak did in fact accompany his father back. He is not mentioned only because, being still but a boy, he is considered his father's property and is secondary to him.
• Abarbanel, in contrast, suggests that Yitzchak really was absent, but only because he had been sent ahead to allay any fears Sarah might have had.

Ambivalent

¹ Yitzchak is referred to as a "נער" in verse 6, which is generally understood to describe a youth.  However, the term has been applied both to infants (Moshe in the ark) and to adults (Yehoshua) as well, suggesting that it can refer to a man of any age.

² Cf. Jubilees who presents Yitzchak as 23.

³ 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, Yitzchak would be 37 at the Akeidah.

⁴ 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.

⁵ R. Hirsch suggests, instead, that it was the seriousness and silence of Avraham throughout the three day journey which aroused his suspicions.

⁶ See also Lekach Tov, R"Y Bekhor Shor, Radak, and R. D"Z Hoffmann who all agree that Yitzchak and Avraham's conversation in verses 7-8 marked the turning point when Yitzchak realized the true plan but claim that Avraham never explicitly confirmed Yitzchak's suspicions.  He only hinted to what was to come, but Yitzchak grasped the truth.

⁷ Cf. R. Hirsch and R. D"Z Hoffmann who present Avraham as even less explicit, but who still assert that Yitzchak understood from his response what was to be.

⁸ 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 Bereshit Rabbah 65:18 and Tanchuma (Buber) Toledot ]

⁹ Verse 6 had already pointed out that the two were walking together, so there would seem to be no reason to repeat the point here, just two verses later.

¹⁰ Cf. Rashi who claims that his words were prophetic.

¹¹ See Neofiti, Bereshit Rabba, Tanchuma, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, and Radak.

¹² Bereshit Rabbah, in fact, brings the binding as proof that Yitzchak was compliant, for if not how would his father have managed to bind a grown man against his will?

¹³ As this still does not explain why Yitzchak was not nonetheless rewarded for his show of faith and obedience, Abarbanel concludes that Yitzchak must not have been an active participant. [See the discussion below.]

¹⁴ Ibn Ezra therefore rejects the possibility that Yitzchak was but five during the episode, claiming that at such a young age he would not have been given the fire-wood to carry..

¹⁵ The Rambam similarly rejects the possibility that Yitzchak was already 37, for if so, the text should have highlighted his righteousness and obedience much more than Avraham's.

¹⁶ Shadal asserts that Yitzchak was satisfied with this answer, assuming that Hashem would miraculously aid them in finding an animal, and if not, they would simply not offer any.  If Yitzchak is indeed younger during the episode, he likely simply trusted his father.

¹⁷ The device is known as a "חזרמ מקשרת" or "resumptive repetition".  Another example might be verses 28-29 in Shemot 6 which basically repeat verses 11-12 there.  As the Chapter had paused the narrative with a parenthetical geneology list, it resumes where it had left off beforehand with almost verbatim language.

¹⁸ At this point, being bound, he could no longer escape and could only pray to Hashem for mercy.