Difference between revisions of "Yitzchak/0"
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<subcategory name="Yitzchak & Avraham"> | <subcategory name="Yitzchak & Avraham"> | ||
Yitzchak and Avraham | Yitzchak and Avraham | ||
− | <p>How, if at all, was Yitzchak's relationship with Avraham affected by the <i>Akeidah</i>? | + | <p>How, if at all, was Yitzchak's relationship with Avraham affected by the <i>Akeidah</i>? Nowhere does the Torah explicitly address the question, but several phrases might be mined for clues:</p> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li><b>וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו</b> –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"?</li> | <li><b>וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו</b> –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"?</li> | ||
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<li> <b>"וַיָּשׇׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו... וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְרָהָם בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע"</b> – 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?</li> | <li> <b>"וַיָּשׇׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו... וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְרָהָם בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע"</b> – 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?</li> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
− | <li><b>No separation</b> – Ibn Ezra and Radak explain that Yitzchak's presence is simply assumed by the text and that father and son returned together.</li> | + | <li><b>No separation</b> – <multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary22-19" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra </a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary22-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 22:19</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>and <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit22-19" data-aht="source">Radak</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> explain that Yitzchak's presence is simply assumed by the text and that father and son returned together.</li> |
− | <li><b>Parting of ways</b> – Midrashic sources suggest that Yitzchak either went to learn Torah or up to Gan Eden, while Abarbanel suggests that Avraham sent Yitzchak ahead to tell his mother what had happened and to erase her worry.  Either way, the verse does mean to make any negative statement about the father-son relationship.</li> | + | <li><b>Parting of ways</b> – Midrashic sources suggest that Yitzchak either went to learn Torah or up to Gan Eden, while <multilink><a href="AbarbanelBereshit22-11" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit22-11" data-aht="source">Bereshit 22:11</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink> suggests that Avraham sent Yitzchak ahead to tell his mother what had happened and to erase her worry.  Either way, the verse does mean to make any negative statement about the father-son relationship.</li> |
<li><b>Hurt relationship</b> – 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.</li> | <li><b>Hurt relationship</b> – 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.</li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> |
Version as of 23:48, 10 October 2019
Yitzchak
Religious Identity
Akeidat Yitzchak
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 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?
- Unknowing, unwilling victim – Ibn Ezra presents Yitzchak as a youth, aged 13 or so during the episode,1 and suggests that he was unaware of the plan,2 and was forced to be sacrificed against his will.3
- Aware and willing participant – In contrast, many sources4 suggest that Yitzchak was an adult,5 fully cognizant of what was going on, and a totally willing participant. R. Levi in Bavli Sanhedrin 89b goes further to suggest that the entire idea to be offered as a sacrifice stemmed from Yitzchak himself!6
- Ambivalent – Bereshit Rabbah 56:4 takes a middle position, presenting Yitzchak as having doubts,7 calling to his father in the hopes that he will have mercy, but nonetheless, ultimately going "together" with Avraham to be sacrificed.
"Frum From Birth"
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.8 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?
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.
"וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה"
Bereshit 24:63 shares, "וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה". Commentators debate the meaning of this phrase and whether it refers to a religious or mundane pursuit:
- Prayer – Bavli Berakhot 26b9 explains that "לָשׂוּחַ" relates to the root שיחה, conversation, and suggest that the verse is sharing that Yitzchak had been praying.10 Ramban and Shadal 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 special holiness and his wont to seek solitude to commune with Hashem.
- Mundane pursuits – Ibn Ezra and Rashbam, 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 sharing 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".
Family Life
Yitzchak and Avraham
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 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 their 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. Hirsch more simply explains that this phrase includes not only father and son, but also the youths who had accompanied them, who all traveled together her. The Torah highlights that despite the lofty experience, it did not cause either Avraham or Yitzchak to be aloof or act superior to others.
- "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 Ezra and Radak 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 Abarbanel suggests that Avraham sent Yitzchak ahead to tell his mother what had happened and to erase 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.
Yitzchak and Sarah
When Rivka weds Yitzchak, the texts shares, "וַיְבִאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהֱלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת רִבְקָה וַתְּהִי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ וַיִּנָּחֵם יִצְחָק אַחֲרֵי אִמּוֹ." What might this tell us about Yitzchak's relationship with his mother?
- Particularly close – Radak and Ramban 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 – Rashi 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 VeHabballah, working off the Midrash that Sarah's tent had been filled with blessings while alive,12 suggests that it was Sarah's good deeds and the ensuing blessing that Yitzchak missed, and it was these that Rivka replaced.
Yitzchak and Yishmael
In contrast to Yaakov and Esav who explicitly vie with each other for firstborn status, Yitzchak and Yishmael do not explicitly compete, as Yitzchak is but a toddler when Yishmael is expelled from home. What was their relationship like? Did it have anything to do with Yishmael's banishment? How did the expulsion affect thier long-term relationship?
Prior to the expulsion – 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,13 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. HaRambam 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, Rashi, and 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 Radak, Ralbag and Seforno, 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 Saba uniquely claims that Yishmael was not really a negative influence and Sarah only mistakenly assumed that he was mocking her.
Yitzchak and Rivka
Choosing a spouse14 – 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 – Rashi and Rashbam claim that the most important factor was that the woman be related to Avraham.
- Beliefs – According to R. Saadia, 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 Ramban, R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, and Ran, 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.
Love, not at first sight? – Bereshit 24:67 speaks of Yitzchak and Rivka's marriage, sharing, "וַתְּהִי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ". Why does the text goes out of its way to state that Yitzchak loved Rivka, and why is this first mentioned only after the marriage?15
- 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.
One wife – 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. Radak explains that this highlights Yitzchak's great love for Yaakov.
Communication gap? 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 thy not simply discuss the matter?
- Rivka insecure – Netziv 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 – Ramban suggests that Rivka had not shared with Yitzchak the contents of the prophecy of "the elder shall serve the younger", either out of modesty, embarrassment for going to seek Hashem without permission, or a feeling that Yitzchak, being a prophet, would know the contents on his own. 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, butt hat they simply were never able to reach a consensus.
Yitzchak and Sons
Bereshit 25:28 speaks of Yitzchak and Rivka's respective favoring of different sons: "יֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת עֵשָׂו כִּי צַיִד בְּפִיו וְרִבְקָה אֹהֶבֶת אֶת יַעֲקֹב". What made Yitzchak prefer Esav? What does the reasoning given in the verse, "כִּי צַיִד בְּפִיו", suggest?
- Unaware of true nature – Many sources16 suggest that Yitzchak was unaware of Esav's truly wicked nature, because Esav tricked him into believing he was righteous.
- No preference – Radak suggests that, in reality, Yitzchak loved Yaakov more than Esav; the verse is simply saying that the only reason he liked Esav was due to the food he brought him. [Cf. Seforno who claims that the verse is only saying that Yitzchak also loved Esav,17 not that he preferred him.]
- Fed him delicacies / firstborn - Ibn Ezra, Rashbam, Ramban, and Shadal assert that Yitzchak's preference was related to the fact that he brought him delicacies, as the simple reading of the verse suggests. As these commentators do not posit that Esav had any grievous faults [Rashbam paints him as basically a neutral character], Yitzchak's thoughts were quite natural. The fact that Esav was the firstborn might have further influenced his inclination. For elaboration, see A Portrait of Esav.
Possible Flaws
Passivity?
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? See Avraham and Yitzchak for a comparison of father and son and the many episodes in Yitzchak's life which seem to simply echo what had happened previously to his father. How should one evaluate this?
- Preserver of tradition – Modern scholars18 note how, in contrast to his trailblazing father, Yitzchak's strength lay in his preserving the tradition, taking Avraham's innovations and giving them permanence. This is not a flaw but a necessity, without which Avraham's accomplishments owuld have disappeared.
- Paving a new way – D. Sabato19 notes that despite the many similarities, Yitzchak differs from his father in one crucial way - he is a man of the land. In contrast to his father, the nomad, he stays put in Israel, becoming a permanent settler.20 He is not merely a shepherd but also an agriculturist, sowing and working the land. It is he who acts to truly realize the promise of "זרע וארץ".
- Finding a wife – 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 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.21
- Passive character – Several modern scholars,22 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.].
- Akeidat Yitzchak – See discussion above regarding whether Yitzchak was an unwilling victim or a willing participant, equal to Avraham in passing the test.
- Digging of Wells – Does Yiztchak's digging of wells really reflect just an imitation of his father?
- Unaware of Esav's character? – See discussion above regarding whether or not Yitzchak was blind to, or well aware of Esav's true character.
Blessing Esav
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 Ramban, Esav was not a particularly wicked character, and thus his status as firstborn sufficed to make Yitzchak want to give him the blessing. As Rivka had never shared with him the prophecy, he cannot be faulted for not heeding Hashem's wishes.
- Mistaken favoritism – Bereshit rabbah, Tanchuma and Rashi 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. Hirsch and Malbim, 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. Maimon suggests that Yitzchak recognized that Esav was not as righteous as his brother, and he hoped that the blessing would help improve his character.
Comparisons
Setting up foils is often a useful method to highlight the unique aspects of a character or story. What can be learned about Yitzchak from the following comparisons?
- Yitzchak and Yishmael
- Finding a wife by a well
- Avraham and Yitzchak