The following commentaries on My Jewish Learning address the Binding of Isaac:īalancing the Needs of Home and CommunityĪutonomy vs. Abraham’s action upon learning of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah - arguing with God and urging him to save at least some of the city’s residents - is often contrasted with his passive and obedient response to the order to sacrifice his own son. Parashat Vayera includes not just the Akedah, but the birth of Isaac, Sarah’s banishment of Hagar and Ishmael, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The story appears in Parashat Vayera, the fourth portion in the annual Torah-reading cycle. Even the shofar (ram’s horn) blown on the holiday is said to be a reminder of the Akedah, and how Isaac was spared. The story, in Genesis 22:1-19, is traditionally read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, and references to it appear throughout the Rosh Hashanah liturgy. Abraham agrees, but then is stopped at the last minute when God sends an angel who tells him to sacrifice a ram instead.
In it, God orders Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah. The Binding of Isaac, known in Hebrew as the Akedah, is one of the best known - and most troubling - stories in the Bible. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Donate
