an interesting idea

[cellio]

Ruth Levenstein posted an interesting idea to a Jewish mailing list that I'm on.

It is generally held that the binding of Isaac (the Akeidah) was a test, and that Avraham passed the test by obeying the order to sacrifice his son. But maybe Avraham *failed* the test. Maybe passing the test would have meant protesting, as he did to protect S'dom and Gemorrah a few chapters earlier.

The story takes on a very different tone if you read it from this perspective.

Comments

[jeannegrrl.livejournal.com]

I've heard this idea and it resonates with me. As further support for this view, I was also told that not only did G-d send an Angel to stop the sacrifice vs. intervening Himself, but after this, G-d never speaks directly to Abraham again....

[cellio]

The lack of further contact with Avraham is something I had noticed before. I get the impression that the traditional answer here is that Avraham had passed all of God's tests and/or done everything God needed from him, so there was no need for further contact. A less-traditional answer is that it was to spare Avraham -- if the last thing God asked you to do was sacrifice your kid and then God calls again, how are you going to feel? But the idea that God stayed away because Avraham had screwed up is a new (to me) twist.

Problems with the interpretation

[marlowe1.livejournal.com]

G-d does speak to Abraham again to reward him.
G-d saying do and an Angel saying don't would weigh it more heavily to G-d. There are traditions about Satan trying to stop Abraham and Satan is an angel.
Isaac was 37, Abraham was 137 - it's difficult to tie someone to a rock and sacrifice them if they aren't willing to do it.

And Abraham is talking directly to G-d. He knows that there's an afterlife. He will simply be putting Isaac there.

Two other interpretations are Rabbi Friedman's (http://www.rabbifriedman.org)interpretation that the Test was listening to the angel. And proving that this world is important. Just as important as the next.

Rav Kook saw it as a Paradox. Dogma is the premature resolution of a paradox (I think that's how it goes). Abraham passed by seeing the Paradox through to the end.