The Torah portion that we read on Rosh Hashanah is quite a frightening story. In our portion, God tells Abraham to take his son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice. Fortunately, at the last moment, God stops him, commanding him to sacrifice a ram instead.
The rabbis believed this was such an important portion that they chose it as the special reading for Rosh Hashanah morning. Traditionally the portion is understood to be a test of Abraham’s loyalty to God – would Abraham follow God’s orders, even when they ask for such a horrific act as sacrificing one’s own child? Abraham seems to pass the test. We read in the portion: “Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me.”
For many in our tradition the lesson of the Akeidah is blind loyalty to God. Maimonides suggests that the portion teaches us that when we love and fear God, we do what God commands. For Maimonides we learn from Abraham’s action how far we must go when we fear of God.
To be honest, I’ve always had a problem with this portion. Why on one of the holiest days of the year do we listen to such a fearful story? What kind of God would even ask for someone to sacrifice his son? I feel better knowing that other commentators in our tradition teach that blind loyalty to God is not the lesson of the Akeidah. In fact, our Torah portion for Rosh Hashanah might just teach us to be cautious of God’s commands, to question and think twice before we fulfil them.
According to some interpreters, Abraham did question God’s command and had serious doubts about God’s very strange request. He did not march off immediately toward Mount Moriah. He delayed his departure until the next morning. He asked questions and evaluated the answers. He wanted to make sure he clearly understood God’s command before he acted upon it. Abraham’s did not have blind faith – rather he had faith based on questions and answers.
Yes, our Torah portion teaches us about faith – not blind faith but a faith based upon meaning and understanding. Just as Abraham struggles to determine what God wants from him, so too do we struggle to understand what it means to be loyal to God. From Akeidat Yitzchak, the Binding of Isaac, we learn to follow God’s commands. However, we also learn that we have the right, if not the obligation, to ask reasonable questions to ensure that we understand the significance and the consequences of our actions.
L’Shana Tovah
Rabbi Goor