The Akeda - Binding of Yitzhack

The binding of Yitzchak found at the end of the Torah portion Vayera in Bereshit (Genesis 22 1- 15), is considered by the Jewish sages to be one of the most important portions in the Torah, and is read during Rosh Hashanah. Rabbis continue asking such questions as: Why would G-d demand such a thing of Avraham or even Yitzchak. Is G-d sadistic? Did He need to test Abraham’s love for G-d or the limits of his obedience?

These questions can only be answered through a study of the Akeda in light of its fulfillment in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. The sages say that every verse from Moses to the last prophet speaks of the times of Messiah (Berachot 34 b).

In verse 1 G-d calls out to Avraham using the first of three uses of the word “Hineni” (here I am) demonstrating that he was always ready to serve and obey G-d. In verse 2, G-d tells Avraham: “take your son, your only son (jdyxy -yachidecha) Yitzchak whom you love and…” Was Yitzchak indeed Avraham’s only son? Abraham already had a first born son named Ishmael but he was not the son of the promise. Yitzchak was the one through whom G-d would fulfill His promise to Avraham in Genesis 12:3. The sod (mystical understanding) revealed by Yitzchak being called the only (begotten) son is that this gives us a glimpse of another son of Israel who would be born years later through another miraculous birth.

Ishmael was born to the slave woman, Hagar because Sarah would not wait for the son promised by G-d. Sarah wanted a child, sent Hagar to Avraham and the son born from this union was achieved through pure human effort. On the other hand Yitzchak’s birth through Sarah, the free woman, was the result of G-d’s miraculous intervention in fulfillment of His promise to Abraham. Yeshua ha Mashiach (the Messiah) was also born miraculously through G-d’s intervention in the life of Miriam, fulfilling Isaiah 7:14. Both promises were accomplished through the righteousness of G-d, not through human effort or the self-righteousness of man.

Rabbi Shaul (Apostle Paul) speaks of two covenants in Galatians 4:21-31 (in the Meshachim Ketuvim or Messianic Writings - known in Christianity as the New Testament) — the covenant of the slave woman and the covenant of the free woman or the promise. Rav Shaul is making a drash, (a teaching based on rabbinic understanding). The covenant of the slave woman represents religion based upon our own efforts and merits as a means to reach G-d. In this system, the religious leaders pervert G-d’s Torah into legalistic teachings, placing a heavy burden upon the people. Yeshua speaks of this in Mattityahu (Matthew) 23:4-5. “They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to carry them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long”.

On the other hand the covenant of the promise demonstrates that only G-d can bring us into relationship with Him; it is not a result of our human effort or self righteousness, but of the promise of G-d. Now we are free to obey and to walk in his Torah.

In Verse 2b G-d tells Avraham “…go to the land of Moriyah and offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will show you.” It was on this same mountain that Mashiach Yeshua sacrificed his life to atone for the sins of mankind. Some rabbis deny that G-d would ever accept a human sacrifice however this contradicts the Tanach as well as their writings and traditions. They themselves write that Yitzchak was sacrificed and was later resurrected. There is a term used in Judaism called: “Mitatan shel tzaddiqim mekapperet- The death of the righteous atones” (b. Mo’ed Qatan 28 a) See also the reference to human sacrifice in 2 Samuel 21: 1-14 where someone died to atone for the sins of others. Yeshua completed all the requirements necessary for a pure sacrifice whereas Yitzchak could not, as he was not without sin.

Verses 3-4 reveal that Avraham did not question G-d but obeyed without a word. This was unlike the Avraham who pleaded with G-d over and over to save Sodom and Gomorrah. Was his son less important than these sinful cities? Of course not, as further exploration of the passage reveals.

Avraham and Yitzchak (along with two young men— tradition states that they were Eliezer and Ishmael) walked for three days. During this time Avraham exhibits the strong faith given to him by G-d since for him, Yitzchak was already dead from the beginning of their journey. The “number 3” points to the day when Yeshua himself would be dead for three days up until his resurrection. He himself had given this as a sign that just like Jonah would be in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, so too would the son of man be in the belly of the earth. This would be the only sign for that this wicked generation in order to prove to them that he was the Messiah (Matt. 12:40ff). (It is interesting to note that the haphtarah read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur is the entire book of Jonah!).

Avraham believed that even if G-d were to take the life of Yitzchak, he would be revived since he said to the two witnesses …”Stay here with the donkey, I and the boy will go there, worship and return to you.” It was later written in Torah that the testimony of two witnesses was needed in the proof of any case (D’varim (Deut.) 19:15; Yohanan (John) 8:17). The two men put to death next to Yeshua served as witnesses of what transpired there that day fulfilling Torah to the smallest detail.

In verse 6 we read: “Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Yitzchak his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together;” Yeshua also carried the wooden stake on his shoulders as he climbed up toward his own execution. The knife carried by Abraham is called tlkam “ma’achelet”, a word derived from ochel – “eat” or “food maker”. Abraham was using the typical sacrificial knife used by the cohanim.

The second “hineni” occurred in Bereshit 22: 7. Yitzchak asked his father, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?” The response from Abraham is filled with trust for his heavenly Father, “My son, God will provide himself (Elohim yireh lo) a lamb…” Yitzchak although called “naar” which usually refers to a young lad can also mean a man who is still unmarried. According to our sages, Yitzchak was 37 years and yet he obeyed his father allowing him to bind him and place him on the altar without argument. It was later revealed that Yeshua too was 37 when he died on the Roman execution stake and he too allowed himself to be sacrificed without one word of complaint.

Later, in verse 13, we see that G-d provided a ram for sacrifice in place of Yitzchak. Many years later Yeshua would be announced by Yochanan the Immerser when he states “Here is the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sins of the world.- Hineh seh ha Elohim hanoseh et chattat ha olam.” olvih taux acvnh oyhvlah hs hnh
Yochanan 1:29

Avinu Avraham here too demonstrates the faith he had in “m’chayei ha meitim” - oytmh hyxm the resurrection of the dead. Yitzchak was a picture of what was to come. Yeshua, in fulfillment, was the true sacrifice and he revived from the dead. Yeshua said that Abraham had rejoiced to see his day (Yochanan 8:56). According to our sages, Avinu Avraham understood that G-d had prepared this ram for him to bring in place of his son (Akedat Yitzchak). Also, this ram was brought into existence during the twilight of creation (Avot 5). This means that G-d decreed that this ram be prepared for the time of the Akeda (Yalkut Shimoni).

The Angel of the Lord (Malach Adonai) called out from heaven and Abraham replied with the 3rd hineni, Bereshit 22: 11 “Do not lay your hand upon the lad…for now I know that you fear G-d seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.” The idea of the only begotten son first spoken of by G-d Himself in verse 1 is again revealed.

Who is this Angel who states that “…now I know that you are a man who fears G-d because you have not withheld your son, your only son from me”? Could it be that he is a manifestation of the Sar Panim, the Presence of G-d? Yitzchak is called his only son, pointing to Yeshua, the only begotten of the Father - Yehudim Mashichim (Hebrews) 1:3-5 describes Him as the visible presence on earth of the invisible G-d. It meant that he was endowed with all the characteristics of G-d and he was given the full authority to represent G-d on earth.

The next verses are very exciting when read in the context of Yeshua. When he was on the execution stake, he cried out “Eli Eli lama sabachtani”. This phrase has been misunderstood and misinterpreted by those who simply didn’t understand what he meant. They drew their own conclusions by stating that Yeshua was referring to Psalm 22:1 where King David cries out “My G-d, my G-d why have you abandoned me?” The word for abandoned is “azavtani. By saying “sabachtani”, Yeshua was referring not to the Psalm of David but rather to the akeda in Bereshit 22:13 where the ram was caught in the thicket or thornbush — “s’bach” (jbo). Yeshua was clearly pointing out that he was the fulfillment of the ram caught in the thorns as he himself wore a crown of thorns.

The rabbis say that with the sacrifice of Yitzchak there is the power of atonement for sin (Rashi, Bereshit Rabba). This parallel between Yitzchak and Yeshua is beautiful and extremely important for us as his followers. Yeshua did not come in a vacuum. The entire Tanach speaks of him. Yeshua fulfilled and completed all that Yitzchak could not. It is only by seeing the Akeda in light of Messiah Yeshua that we can truly understand its true meaning. We rejoice that through him we have the hope of the forgiveness for our sins, the resurrection from the dead and fullness of life not only in the here and now but in the olam habah.