Rosh HaShana and Akedat Yitzchak- The binding of Isaac

SPONSORED BY NAOMI AND HAL DORFMAN IN MEMORY OF WALTER S KRAMER Z''L AND RENEE AND ROBERT DORFMAN Z''L

 On the second day of Roah HaShana, we read about Akedat Yitzchak, the Binding of Isaac. The passages that describe Avraham’s almost sacrifice of his son Yitchak are difficult to understand and many wonder what connection they have to Rosh HaShana aside from the ram who is stuck in the bushes who saves the day and whose horn we use as a shofar.

Haim Gouri, an Israeli poet, novelist, journalist, and documentary filmmaker born in Tel Aviv and currently living in Jerusalem wrote the following poem called Yerusha, Heritage based on the themes from Akedat Yitzchak:

The ram came last of all

And Avraham didn’t know that it came

to answer the boy’s question                  

Here are the fire and the wood but where is the young beast for the sacrifice)

First of his strength when his day was on the wane

The old man raised his head Seeing that it was no dream

and that the angel stood there                                    

The knife slipped from his hand  The boy, released from his bonds

saw his father’s back

Yitzchak, as the story goes, was not sacrificed,

He lived for many years

Saw what pleasure had to offer until his eyesight dimmed  

But he bequeathed that hour to his offspring

They are born with a knife in their hearts 

 

Haim Gouri is trying to teach us that we are all scarred from what almost happened at Akedat Yitzchak.

In each generation, the Jewish people are faced with challenges that we must overcome. If we keep in mind that Avraham was able to overcome ten extremely difficult tests (nisyonot)- the last one being the near sacrifice of his beloved son- then we can gain the strength to realize that we can stand up to and overcome any of the challenges that we may encounter. 

As Rosh HaShana approaches, let’s hope and pray that we can rise above any challenges that may come our way in the coming year.