Parashat Vayera: Halacha: Infusing morality into religious sentiment

In this week’s Torah portion, Vayera, we read about one of the most difficult trials that our patriarch Abraham faced – the Binding of Isaac (Akedah). 

The Torah describes the divine revelation to Abraham, commanding him: “Take now your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; bring him up there as an offering.” God imposed upon Abraham one of the most challenging tasks, one that is almost inconceivable – to offer his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice.

And Abraham obeyed! He went with Isaac to Mount Moriah, ready to offer him. At the very last moment, an angel appeared to Abraham and called out: “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, nor do anything to him.”

To understand this story correctly, we must remember the Torah’s strong opposition to human sacrifice, a horrific practice that was prevalent among ancient idolaters. The Torah considered this practice an abhorrent abomination. We find this prohibition in the Book of Deuteronomy: “For every abomination to the Lord, which He hates, they have done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods” (Deuteronomy 12:31).

This fundamental principle informs how we should read the Binding of Isaac story. God detests and abhors acts of wickedness like human sacrifice. The story of the Binding of Isaac teaches us that  God did not actually desire Abraham to kill Isaac – God forbid. Therefore, the angel’s message “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, nor do anything to him” becomes clear.

Why did God ask Abraham to kill Isaac?

Now we must ask, why did God initially command Abraham to bring Isaac as an offering? What was God seeking to gain from this?

This question intrigued many scholars, but it was clear to all of them that God did not desire, for a moment, that Abraham kill and offer Isaac. One scholar who delved deeply into this matter was Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, a prominent Orthodox Jewish leader in the 20th century.

According to Rabbi Soloveitchik, the answer lies in distinguishing between religious sentiment and religious practice. When people feel intense religious sentiment to the point of being willing to give God the most precious thing they have, their beloved child, it is a noble and sublime emotion. However, there is a fundamental problem with the act itself: It is murder! The act of human sacrifice is strictly forbidden, no matter the circumstances.

Religious law, Halacha, molds religious sentiment into ethical values. The intense religious experience by itself is unbridled and wild, as powerful as it is dangerous. It can be very valuable but can also lead to abominable acts. The law that prohibits murder removes the wildness from religious sentiment, bestowing a moral framework upon that profound religious experience that leads to appropriate acts.

Abraham was required to stand at the highest religious level, and as a result it was said of him, “Now I know that you fear God.” Meaning, his willingness to give God the dearest thing he had was the religious level required of Abraham. In the end, though, the angel’s message prevented Abraham from actually performing this act, teaching us that human sacrifice is morally reprehensible.

The Binding of Isaac teaches us a complex moral message: Religious sentiment is a positive and desired emotion, but its practical manifestation can sometimes be cruel and distorted. The practical and ethical Torah, through Halacha, provides us with commandments and obligations, showing the proper way to express our religious sentiments. ■

The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.