The Ashes Of Isaac at The Akeyda - VaYera

 This
week we read the Akeydah. The Akeydah or binding of Isaac is something so
important to us that we recall it in detail in our daily prayers. We also
recall it specifically on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur to protect, defend and
stand in merit for us.  

The
story we think we know: Hashem tells Abraham to take Yishak as an offering.
They go together to the mount. Abraham binds Isaac to the alter and at the last
minute is stopped by an angel. A ram is offered in Isaac’s stead. Hashem makes
a promise to Abraham and they return home.  

That’s
the story my 4 year old granddaughter will tell in Parsha with Orly Adele iin a
mix of Hebrew and English this week. And the story we heard at four is the one
we continue to hear, But there is much more to the story  

Many
questions are asked  

For
example at the end of the Akeyda the passuk tells us  

וישב
אברהם אל נעריו   

All
the commentators ask. And where was Yishak?  

There
are many Midrashim relating to the Akeyda  

A
famous one recalls Satan’s attempt to stop it. 

Realizing
the importance of the Akeydah to the future of Benai Yisrael and the merit and
protection it will provide, the midrashim expand on the attempt of the Satan to
prevent Abraham and Isaac from going through with the sacrifice.  

What
should have been an 8 hour walk from Hebron to mount Moriah, became a three-day
trek through impossible conditions brought on by the Satan. He tries
psychological arguments imploring Abraham that he could not have possibly heard
what he thought he heard.  

He
calls him a fool who dreamed up a god who would ask him to kill a son given to
him at 100 years of age. He uses an intellectual quarrel arguing that prophecy
is imperfect and there is room for interpretation. He threatens him that he
will be liable for murder.  

When
that fails, he turns to Isaac and pleads with him to come to his senses
explaining that his father is certainly senile if he thinks G-d would ask him
to sacrifice his only son. He tells Isaac to think of his poor mother. He
reminds him that Yishmael will become the heir in his stead.  

He
then turns to physical impediments including transforming himself into an
impassable river. Its only when the two of them attempt to continue on
regardless that the river gives up. But does the Satan give up? I would suggest
that he does not and fulfilling his role in challenging man uses even more
drastic attempts.  

There
is the Disney G rated version of the Akeydah where only the ram gets killed
(was Bambi G rated) and then there is an R rated version which we don’t usually
hear about unless we get deep into the mefarshim. This R rated version has
Satan continue his pressure and would come with a warning note for violence.  

I
first discovered this alternate version about 35 years ago. The Eben Ezra
comments on the verse: “And Abraham returned”: He questions that it does not
mention Issac …  

Isaac
is not mentioned because he was under Abraham’s care. Those who say that
Abraham slaughtered Isaac and left him on the altar and following this Isaac
came to life are contradicting Scripture. ttps://www.sefaria.org/Ibn_Ezra_on_Genesis.22.19.1 

And
I said to myself what? What is he talking about? Someone says he didn’t stop?
Someone says Abraham killed Isaac? I asked Rabbi Abittan for an explanation and
began delving into the opinion carried not just by one, but we saw, by many and
buried for various reasons which later became very obvious.  

But
it soon became apparent that this other