November 14, 2003
DUCK, COVER, AND ROLL:
Making sense of a father's ultimate test (Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, 11/14/03, Jewish World Review)
The entire Scriptural passage, "the binding of Isaac," is regarded as conveying Abraham's test. But no test seems to begin until after two conversations between G-d and Abraham. The passage opens, "G-d tested Abraham," yet no test follows, just G-d's address to Abraham (to which Abraham replies "Here I am"), and then G-d's gradual identification of the son whom Abraham is to "take." Only retrospectively, only after learning of G-d's ultimate command to kill Isaac, could one read any tension or test back into these preliminary conversations. When they happen, they do not seem to constitute any test. Why, then, is the entire passage, including these two conversations, called a test?I would answer: Whenever G-d speaks to a human being (". . . and He said, 'Abraham'"), even if G-d articulates nothing but the person's own name, it is a test. Nay, a supreme test. [...]
The last chapter of this week's Torah portion, "the binding of Isaac," speaks to every Jew and, for that matter, to every person who accepts Hebrew Scripture. We are all tested each day; G-d addresses each one of us in our own say, continually. Not to mention, each command in the Torah is a direct address to each Jew.
No address or command from G-d is to be routine; each reveals us standing on the edge over the abyss — the sheer inhumanity that is our lot if we do not hear the address of G-d. Each word of G-d, even if only — or perhaps especially — our own name, is a challenge by G-d to rise to a greater spiritual height.
It's no coincidence that the first thing Adam did in the Garden after partaking of the knowledge of Good and Evil was to cover his nakedness and hide from God. The easiest reaction to the command of God is to pretend you don't hear it and to try not to see yourself as He does.
MORE:
-ETEXT: Fear and Trembling (Soren Kierkegaard)
-ESSAY: Fear And Trembling (A Commentary on Kierkegaard's Writings)
The interesting question is did Abraham pass the test or fail it? He passed, it could be argued, because he refused to kill his son, thus honoring the commandment "Thou shall not kill." He failed, it could be argued, because he did not follow G-d's order; this view is supported by the fact that although G-d spoke directly to Abraham at the beginning of the story (and in many earlier chapters), he never spoke directly to him again (only through Angels).
Posted by: Foos at November 14, 2003 11:13 AMAbraham failed the test; God passed it, hence Abraham ultimately passed it.
Posted by: Judd at November 14, 2003 11:32 AM9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
As the passage indicates, Abraham was apparently prepared to pass the test, though we might also argue that he was testing God, and that God passed the test by staying his hand.
http://www.brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/1220/Abraham.htm
Posted by: oj at November 14, 2003 12:10 PMIf I had been Abe, I'd have gone out and found me a different and better G-d. Yeeccch.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 14, 2003 1:29 PMHarry, if you ever heard the voice of God, you would fall to your knees and listen. Closely. As would all of us.
Posted by: jim hamlen at November 14, 2003 3:10 PMYeah, and if I were an Aztec, and the god told me to rip the hearts out of living breasts, then what?
How did Abe know it wasn't the Devil tempting him?
That's the test that counted, and there's no indication he tried it, is there?
Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 14, 2003 4:26 PMHarry:
Is the provision of the ram just a cheap trick, or is it an essential close to the narrative?
God often has a compelling reason to take his followers to the brink of the Pit. Otherwise they wouldn't know what they were missing.
Posted by: Judd at November 14, 2003 6:08 PMI think for Christians the ram presages Christ and God's willingness to give the life of His own Son for Man, as He'd asked Man to do but not required us to go through with.
Posted by: oj at November 14, 2003 7:41 PMThere is a teaching that notes that Abraham does not respond the first time the angel speaks his name to stop him from sacrificing Isaac, making the angel call his name again. (Verse 11) Far from looking for any excuse not to act, Abraham is so intent on doing G-d's bidding that he ignores G-d's messenger. There is a pretty clear message to us there as well.
Posted by: David Cohen at November 15, 2003 1:03 AMIn the realm of the completely non-biblical- I was very impressed with the Italian movie production, with Richard Harris as Abraham.
In it, Abraham was portrayed as neglecting a circumcision ceremony in order to spend time with Isaac (a rare error on his part).
This is what prompts God to begin the sacrifice episode. Abraham's idolizing of his son prompts him to break his preexisting covenant with God.
Not a biblical passage, but consistent with biblical principles, methinks.
Incidentally, Ted Turner financed those bible movies for TNT. An atheist helped create some of the best bible movies ever made.
Posted by: Judd at November 15, 2003 7:28 AMIf I'd been Abe, we'd never have gotten to the ram part. I'm a father.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 15, 2003 6:03 PMAnd a son, right?
Posted by: oj at November 15, 2003 6:35 PMYeah, the Scripture doesn't say what Isaac thought of the proceedings, does it?
His subsequent career suggests he was scared witless.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 16, 2003 4:35 PM