4) Shofar from the ram
The Teki’os
Events:
The time of
Creation: Mishnah in Avot, enumerates the ten things that were created Erev
Shabbos at twilight and one of them is the Ram that was offered on the altar in
Yitzchok’s stead.
The Mishnah in
Avot (Perek 5) also explains how it took twenty generations since creation,
until Avraham Avinu came on the scene and made it known to the whole world that
there is a Boss to the Palace – יש מנהיג לבירה
The Soton
would not have any of it and so when it came the time that Soroh Imenu finally
gave birth to her only son at the age of 90, he waited for an opportunity to
slander this holy family.
Vayigomel: The
Midrash tells us that the Soton came before HaShem and complained that although
Avrohom Avinu prepared a festive meal when his son was born, to which he called
all the great people of his generation, he didn’t offer up any offering to
HaShem!
HaShem
retorted: you will see when how I ask him to offer this same-self son up for me
and he will do so without hesitation.
HaShem speaks
to Avrohom:
Avraham Avinu
received a nightly vision (PDE 31) and says to him “take your son”
Avraham
answered: I have two sons, HaShem answered “your only son”
Avraham
answered: both are their mother’s only son, HaShem answered “the one you like”
Avraham
answered: I like them both, only then did HaShem answer “Yitzchok”
Rashi explains
that this way Avraham would be rewarded even more, as he fulfilled the Mitzvah
that was given to him in so many words.
First
reaction:
Avrohom Avinu
faced many obstacles in his quest to fulfil this last and hardest test.
He had to
content with his feelings as a father, as an old man who waited and prayed so
long to see this child grow up. However
he kept ell his feelings, fears and thoughts to himself (See
Unlike the
Mitzvah of Milah, when Avraham consulted with his neighbours Oneyr, Eshkol and
Mamre, this time he sought no one’s advice.
He feared that they will talk him out of it.
What would his
neighbours and friends would say about this latest test; Avrohom Avinu was the
one who always spread the word of HaShem (11
in the References Appendix) and he was the one who bemoaned the fact that
people were worshipping the idol Molech by offering their children up to
it. Now he himself is slaughtering his
offspring?!
Early riser: וישכם אברהם בבוקר
– Avrohom Avinu rose at the crack of dawn, when the rays of the sun were barely
visible (See Paragraph. 10 in the References Appendix) and did all the
preparations by himself: he saddled his ass and clove the wood – physical work
that he could have easily delegated to his servants.
Balaam’s
copycat actions:
This may seem
trivial but it ended up saving the Jewish nation about 400 years later. Balaam was the prophet of the non-Abrahamite
world and the way he conducted himself was not befitting his status as a leader
of the world.
When he was
invited to curse the Jewish people, HaShem delayed him by refusing to let him
go at first. When HaShem finally allowed
him to go, he started very in the morning and saddled his ass by himself. These actions were done as if to counteract
the deeds of our forefather, who didn’t shirk from doing everything early and
without the help from others, in order to fulfil HaShem’s will.
During his
journey, the angel positioned himself in the middle of the road to prevent him
from reaching Moab.
His retort to
HaShem was: You did the same to Avraham; first you told him to offer up his
son, then you told him through an angel to take him off the altar.
At that
moment, his ass started talking and Balaam lost his tongue… This was the special power of speech that was
created at the same time of the ram of Yitzchak.
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