On the Binding of Isaac
Hello Rabbi. I am a student at a pre-military preparatory school and we were asked to write an article for the preparatory school’s magazine. I was thinking of writing about the binding of Isaac, about the messages that emerge from it – is morality null and void before God’s command, or perhaps Abraham’s experience was that he trusted God not to tell him to do something immoral. In any case, I would be happy if you could direct me to sources of your own on the subject of the binding of Isaac, halakha, and morality (I have already come across this site in one column). And if you have other sources from other individuals – I would be happy to hear them. In addition, I would be happy to hear your opinion on the subject – what is the main message of the binding of Isaac?
Hello.
I am not engaged in biblical interpretation. If you saw my words, then this is what I have to say about the Akida (I assume you saw that I cited Rabbi Kook’s testimony there). As I understand it, the main message of the Akida is that Abraham was God-fearing. A God-fearing person should do what God instructs him, whether it is moral or not. And there is no assumption that everything He instructs is moral (search here on the website about Halacha and Morality).
successfully.
Thank you very much Rabbi.
If God is the absolute good, how could He command us to do something immoral?
I directed you to search the site.
Shalom Rabbi
I returned from the reserves and there was a friend with me in the tank who defines himself as a scoundrel and his question was what the educational/moral message was in the tying of Isaac. I read Rabbi Kook's commentary on the tying, but it is not clear from the verses that the message is that he asked not to tying, but on the contrary, the treason to sacrifice one's life for the sake of his command and also the life of our son if commanded to do so, and if so, what is the educational and moral idea in the story of the tying?
I also reinforce the issue from what you said on the podcast with Daniel Doshi that man is responsible for his choices and since there is no absolute certainty even in the existence of God, why did Abraham agree to the idea of slaughtering his son? Unless you think that Abraham had absolute certainty that he had received a command from God. Then there is a greater complication: how could he believe that God was commanding something immoral and that he had to refuse the command because it was a clearly illegal order.
The educational message is the obligation to sacrifice in order to fulfill the will of God. God asked for a covenant otherwise there is no demand for sacrifice here. But he planned in advance not to realize this because the lesson is only the willingness to sacrifice.
Regarding certainty, I have written more than once about the fact that the prophet apparently has sufficient certainty to decide in favor of the commandment and against the moral. Search here on the Binding of Isaac website. For example, column 333.
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