Parshas Vayeira - The Secret of Akeidas Yitzchak and the Sweetening of Judgments

The Secret of the Victory of the Jewish Nation

It is brought down in the Book of Kings II that the Jewish people defeated the camp of Moav and killed one hundred thousand of their soldiers. The king of Moav saw this great victory of the Jews and called for all the sorcerers and magicians. He asked them, "What is the secret of the Jews? How did they defeat us in a single second? After all, they had been in the desert for several days, starving! They did not have a single drop of water!"

"How did everything turn around in one moment, leading to their victory? What is their merit? What is the secret of the Jewish nation?" They answered him, "The secret of the Jewish nation is the Akeidah (the Binding of Isaac)! The merit that stands for the Jewish people is Akeidas Yitzchak!"

The Joy in Self-Sacrifice

The Geulah (Redemption) will only come through Yitzchak! In the merit of Yitzchak, the Geulah will come! In the merit of the Akeidah, the Geulah will come! Because our mother Sarah said, "I want a son who will save the Jewish nation! I want a son who will go to the Akeidah! I want a son who will argue with his father, insisting that he wants to be slaughtered as a sacrifice! I want a son who will argue with the Satan, insisting that he wants to be slaughtered!"

The moment Avraham Avinu led Yitzchak to the Akeidah, the Satan did not know what to do. He did not know how to cancel this Akeidah. He knew that if the Akeidah took place, it would stand as a merit for the Jewish people for all generations! He knew that if the Akeidah was carried out, he was doomed! Therefore, he used every trick to prevent the Akeidah! First, he turned into a raging river, and then he disguised himself as an old man (Sanhedrin 89b), but nothing helped him!

Then the Satan said to Yitzchak, "I heard from behind the Heavenly Curtain:

'The lamb is for the burnt offering! And Yitzchak is not for the burnt offering!'"

"The fact that you are going to be slaughtered is all an act! The fact that they are leading you to the Akeidah is all wonderful, but it will not happen in the end! I am telling you! There will be no Akeidah! Rather, they will sacrifice the lamb for the burnt offering, and not you!"

Then Yitzchak cried out, "Father, what are we going to do?!"

"Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

"I want to be the lamb for the burnt offering! Father, will I be the burnt offering to Hashem?!" Yitzchak was constantly afraid that Avraham would find some lamb along the way and sacrifice the lamb for the burnt offering instead of him.

Yitzchak argued with Avraham, "Father, the Satan told me that I am not going to be slaughtered! Why?! Father, why?! What did I do? How did I sin?! Father, tell me, how did I sin?! Why aren't they slaughtering me?!" Then Avraham told him, "My son, you are for the burnt offering! Distract your mind from the Satan! Forget about the Satan! You are the burnt offering, my son! We are going to be bound in literal self-sacrifice for the sanctification of Hashem's Name!"

"Forget everything he told you! You have nothing to worry about; you will be slaughtered, you will be bound, you are truly going to the Akeidah! You are the holy of holies! You are entirely devoted to Hashem!" The moment Yitzchak heard the joyful news that he would be bound, his soul returned to him.

The Sweetening of Judgments Until the End of All Generations

Avraham Avinu saw everything that would happen until the end of all generations. Hashem revealed to Avraham everything that would occur in every generation. There was nothing that Hashem did not reveal to Avraham Avinu; he saw all the harsh decrees and all the holocausts that would take place.

By binding his son, through this very Akeidah, Avraham Avinu took upon himself all the suffering until the end of all generations. Through this Akeidah, he already fulfilled the obligation for everyone regarding all the sacrifices in the world, from all the suffering in the world. Through the Akeidah, he sweetened all the judgments until the end of all generations.

It is written in the portion of the Akeidah:

"And behold, a ram was caught in the thicket (ba'sevach)"

The thicket (sevach - סבך) hints at the sin of the Golden Calf (Egel - עגל)! What does it mean that it was caught in the thicket? In the Hebrew alphabet, after the letter Samech (ס) comes the letter Ayin (ע); after the letter Beis (ב) comes the letter Gimmel (ג); after the letter Chaf (ך) comes the letter Lamed (ל). This spells out Ayin, Gimmel, Lamed - Egel (Calf). Avraham Avinu saw the sin of the Golden Calf! He saw everything! And through the Akeidah, he sweetened all the judgments for all generations.

The Power of Reading Parashas HaAkeidah

The moment Avraham Avinu (our Patriarch Abraham) offered the Akeidah (Binding of Isaac), a bas kol (Heavenly voice) emerged and said, "Do not do anything to him," "Do not do anything to him." This accompanies the Jewish people throughout all generations. If a person recites Parashas HaAkeidah every day, a *bas kol* emerges and says, "Do not do anything to him."

A bas kol emerges and says:

"Do not stretch out your hand against the lad nor do anything to him."

If he recites Parashas HaAkeidah with kavanah (focused intention), not missing a single word or a single letter, then he is saved from all the evil decrees and all the harsh judgments of that day! He is guaranteed that on that day, no harm will befall him! "Do not do anything to him"—he will not have any accident! A person could be in Auschwitz, in the Holocaust, and nothing would happen to him!

Every time a person recites the Akeidah, a bas kol emerges and declares anew, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad nor do anything to him"—do not do anything to him! He sweetens all the harsh judgments.

Daily Protection for the Children

Every day there are new decrees. A person doesn't know—a child walks in the street, gets off the bus, gets on the minibus. Every movement, especially for children, requires angels to guard them.

"For He will command His angels on your behalf to guard you in all your ways."

According to the laws of nature, it is impossible for a child to return home safe and sound; it is only angels guarding them!

Therefore, when a person reads the Akeidah in the morning, a bas kol emerges and says, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad." Through the Akeidah, the harsh judgments are sweetened from upon the youth, from upon the children. If, Heaven forbid, there was some harsh decree upon a child that day, by reciting Parashas HaAkeidah in the morning, that judgment is sweetened.

When a person begins his morning prayers, he must recite Parashas HaAkeidah, because one must never skip Parashas HaAkeidah! Whoever merits to read the order of the Akeidah merits to be saved from all the troubles of that day! (Sefer Seder HaYom).

And one must mention the Akeidah every single day! Because through the Binding of Isaac, all the harsh judgments were sweetened until the end of all generations! Since there are new decrees every day and one needs to sweeten those decrees, one is therefore obligated to recite the order of the Akeidah with kavanah! Never skip it.