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

Time in Torah

[marlowe1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but you have to remember that the Torah doesn't tell things in a straight chronelogical setting. It will go on about the generations of Esav in one chapter which have to go for many years, and then goes back to talk about Joseph. Or it will speak about how long Ishmael lived before getting to Isaac.

SO pretty much what happens with Abraham is that Torah wants to get all the loose ends tied up in his story before moving on to the story of Isaac (which is pretty short as he's a transitional character)