AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS, THAT GOD DID PROVE ABRAHAM, AND SAID UNTO HIM: ABRAHAM, AND HE SAID: HERE AM I. R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Thou art my King, O God (Ps. 44, 5). ‘This allocution’, he said, ‘signifies the complete union of all grades.’
“Command the salvation of Jacob” (Ibid.), to wit, the emissaries who perform God’s behests in the world, that they may be all from the side of mercy and not from the side of stern justice; since there are messengers from the side of mercy and others from the side of justice. Those belonging to the side of mercy never execute a mission of punishment in the world.
It may be asked, how can we reconcile with this the case of the angel who appeared to Balaam, and of whom we have been taught that he was first a messenger of mercy and then was changed into one of severity. In reality the character of his mission was not changed, as he was throughout a messenger of mercy on behalf of Israel, to protect them and plead for them, but this meant punishment to Balaam. For this is the way of the Holy One, that when He confers kindness on one, the same kindness may result in punishment for another. Similarly here, the same messenger who was one of mercy for Israel turned into one of punishment for Balaam. Hence David prayed, “Command the salvation of Jacob”, as much as to say: “When messengers are sent into the world, order such as are of the side of mercy.”
R. Abba said: ‘The words “command the salvation of Jacob” allude to those in exile, for whose redemption David prayed. Further, Jacob was the crown of the patriarchs, but if not for Isaac he would not have appeared in the world; hence the request “command the salvation of Jacob” refers primarily to Isaac, since the saving of his life was the salvation of Jacob.’
AND IT CAME TO PASS. Said R. Simeon: ‘We have been taught that the expression “and it came to pass in the days” indicates that some trouble is about to be narrated, while the expression “and it came to pass”, even without the addition of “in the days”, presages a certain tinge of distress. AFTER THESE WORDS: this means, after the lowest grade of all the supernal grades, which is called “words” (d’barim), as in the passage, “I am not a man of words” (Ex. 4, 10).
THAT ELOHIM PROVED ABRAHAM, i.e. the evil tempter came to accuse him before the Holy One, blessed be He. The text here is rather surprising, for instead of Abraham we should have expected here to read, “God proved Isaac”, seeing that he was already thirty-seven years of age, and no longer under his father’s jurisdiction. He could thus easily have refused without rendering his father liable to punishment.
The truth, however, is that it was requisite, in order that Abraham might attain to perfection, that he should be invested with the attribute of rigour, which he had not exhibited up to that time.
Now, however, water was united with fire and fire with water, and it was possible for him to dispense rigorous justice and make it part of his character. The evil tempter thus came to accuse Abraham on the ground that he could not be said to have perfected himself until he should have exercised rigour against Isaac.
But observe that although only Abraham is explicitly mentioned as being proved, Isaac, nevertheless, was also included in the trial, as is implied by the amplifying particle eth before “Avraham”, which indicates Isaac. For Isaac was at that time in the grade of the lower Geburah (Force, Rigour); but after he had been bound and made ready to undergo the rigorous trial at the hand of Abraham, he was equipped in his own place together with Abraham, and so fire and water were joined and rose to a higher grade, and the discord was appeased.
For who ever saw a father’s heart turn from compassion to cruelty? But the object here was to assuage the discord between fire and water so that they should be settled in their places until Jacob appeared, when all was put in order, and the triad of the patriarchs was completed, and higher and lower creations were firmly established.
AND HE SAID, TAKE NOW THY SON. The word take does not mean “take forcibly”, since Abraham was too old for that, but it has the same sense as in “take Aaron and Eleazar his son” (Num. 20, 25), signifying that he should use persuasion and gently lead him on to do the will of God. THY SON, THINE ONLY SON, WHOM THOU LOVEST. This has been explained elsewhere. AND GET THEE INTO THE LAND OF MORIAH: the meaning is similar to that of the passage, “I will get me to the mountain of myrrh” (S. S. 4, 6), i.e. to become invigorated in the appropriate place.
וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנִּנִי. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר (תהלים מה) אַתָּה הוּא מַלְכִּי וְגו'. דָּא הוּא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין כְּחֲדָא דָּא בְּדָא.
AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS, THAT GOD DID PROVE ABRAHAM, AND SAID UNTO HIM: ABRAHAM, AND HE SAID: HERE AM I. R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Thou art my King, O God (Ps. 44, 5). ‘This allocution’, he said, ‘signifies the complete union of all grades.’
צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב, כָּל אִנּוּן שְׁלִיחָן דְּעַבְדֵּי שְׁלִיחוּתָא בְּעַלְמָא דְלֶיהוֵי כֻּלְּהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְרַחֲמֵי וְלָא לֶהווֹ מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא, בְּגִין דְּאִית מָארֵי שְׁלִיחָן מִסִּטְרָא דְרַחֲמֵי וּמִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא. אִנּוּן שְׁלִיחָן דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְרַחֲמֵי לָא עַבְדֵי שְׁלִיחוּתָא דְדִינָא בְּעַלְמָא כְּלָל.
“Command the salvation of Jacob” (Ibid.), to wit, the emissaries who perform God’s behests in the world, that they may be all from the side of mercy and not from the side of stern justice; since there are messengers from the side of mercy and others from the side of justice. Those belonging to the side of mercy never execute a mission of punishment in the world.
וְאִי תֵימָא הָא מַלְאָכָא דְּאִתְגְּלֵי לֵיהּ לְבִלְעָם הָא תָּנִינָן שְׁלִיחָא דְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה וְאִתְהַפַּךְ לְדִינָא. לָא. לְעוֹלָם לָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי, אֶלָּא שְׁלִיחָא דְרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה לַאֲגָנָא עֲלַיְיהוּ דְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְמֶהֱוֵי סַנֵּיגוֹרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ, וּלְקֳבְלֵיהּ הוּא דִינָא, וְכָךְ אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּד אוֹטִיב לְדָא הַהוּא טִיבוּ דִּינָא לְדָא. כָּךְ הָא שְׁלִיחָא דְרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְבִלְעָם אִתְהַפַּךְ לְדִינָא. בְגִין כָּךְ צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב, אָמַר דָוִד, פַּקִּיד עַל עַלְמָא כַּד יִשְׁתַּלְּחוּן שְׁלִיחָאָה דִּי לֶהֶוְיָן מִסִּטְרָא דְרַחֲמֵי.
It may be asked, how can we reconcile with this the case of the angel who appeared to Balaam, and of whom we have been taught that he was first a messenger of mercy and then was changed into one of severity. In reality the character of his mission was not changed, as he was throughout a messenger of mercy on behalf of Israel, to protect them and plead for them, but this meant punishment to Balaam. For this is the way of the Holy One, that when He confers kindness on one, the same kindness may result in punishment for another. Similarly here, the same messenger who was one of mercy for Israel turned into one of punishment for Balaam. Hence David prayed, “Command the salvation of Jacob”, as much as to say: “When messengers are sent into the world, order such as are of the side of mercy.”
רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב דְּאִנּוּן גּוֹ גַלְוָותָא וְיִשְׁתַּכַּח פּוּרְקָנָא לְהוֹן גּוֹ גָּלוּתְהוֹן. תָּא חֲזֵי, תּוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּאֲבָהָן יַעֲקֹב הֲוָה, וְאִלְמָלֵא יִצְחָק לָא אֲתָא יַעֲקֹב לְעַלְמָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ צַוִּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב דָּא יִצְחָק, דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב יִצְחָק יְשׁועוֹת יַעֲקֹב הֲווּ.
R. Abba said: ‘The words “command the salvation of Jacob” allude to those in exile, for whose redemption David prayed. Further, Jacob was the crown of the patriarchs, but if not for Isaac he would not have appeared in the world; hence the request “command the salvation of Jacob” refers primarily to Isaac, since the saving of his life was the salvation of Jacob.’
וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר הָא תָּנִינָן וַיְהִי בִּימֵי עַל צַעֲרָא אִתְּמָר, וַיְהִי אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא כְּתִיב בִּימֵי טַפְסֵי דְצַעֲרָא אִית בֵּיהּ. וַיְהִי אַחַר, בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין, וּמַאן אִיהוּ דְּבָרִים, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות ד׳:י׳) לא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי.
AND IT CAME TO PASS. Said R. Simeon: ‘We have been taught that the expression “and it came to pass in the days” indicates that some trouble is about to be narrated, while the expression “and it came to pass”, even without the addition of “in the days”, presages a certain tinge of distress. AFTER THESE WORDS: this means, after the lowest grade of all the supernal grades, which is called “words” (d’barim), as in the passage, “I am not a man of words” (Ex. 4, 10).
וּמַאן הֲוָה בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא דָא, וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם דְּאַתְיָא יֵצֶר הָרָע לְקַטְרְגָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם. אֶת יִצְחָק מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. דְּהָא יִצְחָק בַּר תְּלָתִין וְשֶׁבַע שְׁנִין הֲוָה וְהָא אֲבוֹי לָאו בַּר עוֹנָשָׁא דִילֵיהּ הֲוָה, דְּאִלְמָלֵא אָמַר יִצְחָק לָא בָעֵינָא לָא אִתְעֲנַשׁ אֲבוֹי עֲלֵיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וְלָא כְּתִיב נִסָּה אֶת יִצְחָק.
THAT ELOHIM PROVED ABRAHAM, i.e. the evil tempter came to accuse him before the Holy One, blessed be He. The text here is rather surprising, for instead of Abraham we should have expected here to read, “God proved Isaac”, seeing that he was already thirty-seven years of age, and no longer under his father’s jurisdiction. He could thus easily have refused without rendering his father liable to punishment.
אֶלָּא אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַדַּאי דְּבָעֵי לְאִתְכְּלָלָא בְּדִינָא, דְּהָא אַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ דִּינָא כְּלַל מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְכְּלִיל מַיָי"א בְּאֶשָׁ"א. וְאַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה שְׁלִים עַד הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְעַטַּר לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא וּלְאַתְקָנָא לֵיהּ בְּאַתְרֵיהּ.
The truth, however, is that it was requisite, in order that Abraham might attain to perfection, that he should be invested with the attribute of rigour, which he had not exhibited up to that time.
וְכָל יוֹמוֹי לָא הֲוָה שְׁלִים עַד הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל מַיָ"א בְּאֶשָׁ"א וְאֶשָׁ"א בְּמַיָ"א, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וְלא אֶת יִצְחָק, דְּאַזְמִין אַבְרָהָם לְאִתְכְּלָלָא בְּדִינָא, וְכַד עָבִיד דָּא, עָאל (קלג ב) אֶשָׁ"א בְּמַיָ"א וְאִשְׁתְּלִים דָּא עִם דָּא. וְדָא עָבִיד דִּינָא לְאִתְכְּלָלָא דָּא בְּדָא. וּכְדֵין יֵצֶר הָרָע אֲתָא לְקַטְרְגָא עֲלֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים כְּדְקָא יְאוּת עַד דְּיַעֲבִיד דִּינָא בְּיִצְחָק. דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים אִיהוּ וְאָתָא לְקַטְרְגָא.
Now, however, water was united with fire and fire with water, and it was possible for him to dispense rigorous justice and make it part of his character. The evil tempter thus came to accuse Abraham on the ground that he could not be said to have perfected himself until he should have exercised rigour against Isaac.
וְתָא חֲזֵי רָזָא דְמִלָּה, אַף עַל גַּב דְּקָאֲמָרָן דְּאַבְרָהָם כְּתִיב וְלָא יִצְחָק, יִצְחָק נָמֵי אִתְכְּלִיל בֵּיהּ בְּהַאי קְרָא, רָזָא דִכְתִיב וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם. נִסָּה לְאַבְרָהָם לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא אֶת אַבְרָהָם אֶת דַּיְיקָא וְדָא יִצְחָק. דְּהָא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא בִּגְבוּרָ"ה תַּתָּאָה שַׁרְיָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַקַּד וְאִזְדַּמַּן בְּדִינָא עַל יְדָא דְּאַבְרָהָם כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, כְּדֵין אִתְעַטַּר בְּאַתְרֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ אֶשָׁ"א בְּמַיָ"א וּסְלִיקוּ לְעֵילָא, וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתַּכַּח מַחְלוֹקֶת כְּדְקָא יְאוּת מַיָא בְּאֶשָׁא.
But observe that although only Abraham is explicitly mentioned as being proved, Isaac, nevertheless, was also included in the trial, as is implied by the amplifying particle eth before “Avraham”, which indicates Isaac. For Isaac was at that time in the grade of the lower Geburah (Force, Rigour); but after he had been bound and made ready to undergo the rigorous trial at the hand of Abraham, he was equipped in his own place together with Abraham, and so fire and water were joined and rose to a higher grade, and the discord was appeased.
מַאן (עבד) חָמָא אַבָּא רַחֲמָנָא דְּאִתְעֲבִיד אַכְזָר. אֶלָּא בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא מַחְלוֹקֶת מַיָא בְּאֶשָׁא וּלְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּאַתְרַייהוּ (ד"א ל"ג כדקא יאות), עַד דְּאָתָא יַעֲקֹב וְאִתְתַּקַּן כֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת וְאִתְעֲבִידוּ תְּלָתָא אַבָּהָן שְׁלֵמִין וְאִתְתַּקָנוּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי:
For who ever saw a father’s heart turn from compassion to cruelty? But the object here was to assuage the discord between fire and water so that they should be settled in their places until Jacob appeared, when all was put in order, and the triad of the patriarchs was completed, and higher and lower creations were firmly established.
וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ. וְכִי הֵיאַךְ יָכִיל אַבְרָהָם דְּאִיהוּ סָבָא. אִי תֵימָא בְּגִין דְּיִצְחָק לָא נָפִיק מֵרְשׁוּתֵיהּ כְּלַל, יָאוֹת, אֲבָל כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (במדבר כ׳:כ״ה) קַח אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ אֶלָּא בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא לוֹן בְּמִלִּין וּלְאַדְבָּרָא לוֹן לִרְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אוּף הָכָא קַח בְּמִלִּין. אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ הָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמּוֹרִיָּה כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שיר השירים ד׳:ו׳) אֵלֵךְ לִי אֶל הַר הַמּוֹר. לְאַתְקָנָא בְּאַתְרָא דְּיִתְחֲזֵי:
AND HE SAID, TAKE NOW THY SON. The word take does not mean “take forcibly”, since Abraham was too old for that, but it has the same sense as in “take Aaron and Eleazar his son” (Num. 20, 25), signifying that he should use persuasion and gently lead him on to do the will of God. THY SON, THINE ONLY SON, WHOM THOU LOVEST. This has been explained elsewhere. AND GET THEE INTO THE LAND OF MORIAH: the meaning is similar to that of the passage, “I will get me to the mountain of myrrh” (S. S. 4, 6), i.e. to become invigorated in the appropriate place.