1. טז וַיָּקֻמוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים, וַיַּשְׁקִפוּ עַל-פְּנֵי סְדֹם; וְאַבְרָהָם-- הֹלֵךְ עִמָּם, לְשַׁלְּחָם. יז וַיהוָה, אָמָר: הַמְכַסֶּה אֲנִי מֵאַבְרָהָם, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה. יח וְאַבְרָהָם--הָיוֹ יִהְיֶה לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל, וְעָצוּם; וְנִבְרְכוּ-בוֹ--כֹּל, גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ. יט כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו, לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת-בָּנָיו וְאֶת-בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו, וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה, לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט--לְמַעַן, הָבִיא יְהוָה עַל-אַבְרָהָם, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר, עָלָיו. כ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי- רָבָּה; וְחַטָּאתָם--כִּי כָבְדָה, מְאֹד. כא אֵרְדָה-נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה, הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה; וְאִם-לֹא, אֵדָעָה. כב וַיִּפְנוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים, וַיֵּלְכוּ סְדֹמָה; וְאַבְרָהָם--עוֹדֶנּוּ עֹמֵד, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה. כג וַיִּגַּשׁ אַבְרָהָם, וַיֹּאמַר: הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה, צַדִּיק עִם- רָשָׁע. כד אוּלַי יֵשׁ חֲמִשִּׁים צַדִּיקִם, בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר; הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה וְלֹא-תִשָּׂא לַמָּקוֹם, לְמַעַן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִם אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבָּהּ. כה חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה, לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם-רָשָׁע, וְהָיָה כַצַּדִּיק, כָּרָשָׁע; חָלִלָה לָּךְ--הֲשֹׁפֵט כָּל-הָאָרֶץ, לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט. כו וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, אִם-אֶמְצָא בִסְדֹם חֲמִשִּׁים צַדִּיקִם בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר--וְנָשָׂאתִי לְכָל-הַמָּקוֹם, בַּעֲבוּרָם. כז וַיַּעַן אַבְרָהָם, וַיֹּאמַר: הִנֵּה-נָא הוֹאַלְתִּי לְדַבֵּר אֶל-אֲדֹנָי, וְאָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר. כח אוּלַי יַחְסְרוּן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִם, חֲמִשָּׁה--הֲתַשְׁחִית בַּחֲמִשָּׁה, אֶת-כָּל-הָעִיר; וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא אַשְׁחִית, אִם-אֶמְצָא שָׁם, אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה. כט וַיֹּסֶף עוֹד לְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו, וַיֹּאמַר, אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם, אַרְבָּעִים; וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה, בַּעֲבוּר הָאַרְבָּעִים. ל וַיֹּאמֶר אַל-נָא יִחַר לַאדֹנָי, וַאֲדַבֵּרָה--אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם, שְׁלֹשִׁים; וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה, אִם-אֶמְצָא שָׁם שְׁלֹשִׁים. לא וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה-נָא הוֹאַלְתִּי לְדַבֵּר אֶל-אֲדֹנָי--אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם, עֶשְׂרִים; וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אַשְׁחִית, בַּעֲבוּר הָעֶשְׂרִים. לב וַיֹּאמֶר אַל-נָא יִחַר לַאדֹנָי, וַאֲדַבְּרָה אַךְ-הַפַּעַם--אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם, עֲשָׂרָה; וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אַשְׁחִית, בַּעֲבוּר הָעֲשָׂרָה. לג וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוָה--כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה, לְדַבֵּר אֶל-אַבְרָהָם; וְאַבְרָהָם, שָׁב לִמְקֹמוֹ. 16 And the men rose up from there, and looked out toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the LORD said: 'Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing; 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him.' 20 And the LORD said: 'Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and, verily, their sin is exceeding grievous. 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.' 22 And the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham continued standing before the LORD. 23 And Abraham drew near, and said: 'Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep away and not forgive the place for the fifty righteous that are within? 25 That be far from You to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, to kill the righteous as well as the wicked; that be far from You; should not the Judge of all the earth do justly?' 26 And the LORD said: 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sake.' 27 And Abraham answered and said: 'Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, who am but dust and ashes. 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; will You destroy all the city for lack of five?' And He said: 'I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.' 29 And he spoke to Him yet again, and said: 'Peradventure there shall be forty found there.' And He said: 'I will not do it for the forty's sake.' 30 And he said: 'Oh, let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak. Peradventure there shall thirty be found there.' And He said: 'I will not do it, if I find thirty there.' 31 And he said: 'Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD. Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.' And He said: 'I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.' 32 And he said: 'Oh, let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure ten shall be found there.' And He said: 'I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.' 33 And the LORD went His way, as soon as He had left off speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place. Arguing with God: Avraham at Sdom CALEV BEN DOR

2. 1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him: 'Abraham'; and he said: 'Here am I.' 2 And He said: 'Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of.' 3 And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he cleaved the wood for the burnt- offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men: ‘stay here with the ass, and I and the lad will go on; and we will worship, and come back to you.' 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said: 'My father.' And he said: 'Here am I, my son.' And he said: 'Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?' 8 And Abraham said: 'God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.' So they went both of them together. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said: 'Abraham, Abraham.' And he said: 'Here am I.' 12 And he said: 'Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that you are a God-fearing man, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.' 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Adonai-Yireh; as it is said to this day: 'In the mount where the LORD is seen.' 15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: 'By Myself have I sworn, said the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have hearkened to My voice.' 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba. Submitting to God: Avraham at the Akeida וַיְהִי, אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, וְהָאֱלֹקים, נִסָּה אֶת-אַבְרָהָם; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. ב וַיֹּאמֶר קַח-נָא אֶת-בִּנְךָ אֶת- יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר-אָהַבְתָּ, אֶת-יִצְחָק, וְלֶךְ-לְךָ, אֶל-אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה; וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם, לְעֹלָה, עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים, אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ. ג וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר, וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת-חֲמֹרוֹ, וַיִּקַּח אֶת-שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ, וְאֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ; וַיְבַקַּע, עֲצֵי עֹלָה, וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ, אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-אָמַר-לוֹ הָאֱלֹקים. ד בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי, וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת- עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת-הַמָּקוֹם--מֵרָחֹק. ה וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל-נְעָרָיו, שְׁבוּ-לָכֶם פֹּה עִם-הַחֲמוֹר, וַאֲנִי וְהַנַּעַר, נֵלְכָה עַד-כֹּה; וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה, וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם. ו וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָהָם אֶת-עֲצֵי הָעֹלָה, וַיָּשֶׂם עַל-יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ, וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ, אֶת-הָאֵשׁ וְאֶת-הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת; וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם, יַחְדָּו. ז וַיֹּאמֶר יִצְחָק אֶל-אַבְרָהָם אָבִיו, וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִי, וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֶּנִּי בְנִי; וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה הָאֵשׁ וְהָעֵצִים, וְאַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה, לְעֹלָה. ח וַיֹּאמֶר, אַבְרָהָם, אֱלֹקים יִרְאֶה-לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה, בְּנִי; וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם, יַחְדָּו. ט וַיָּבֹאוּ, אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר-לוֹ הָאֱלֹקים, וַיִּבֶן שָׁם אַבְרָהָם אֶת-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וַיַּעֲרֹךְ אֶת-הָעֵצִים; וַיַּעֲקֹד, אֶת-יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ, וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתוֹ עַל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, מִמַּעַל לָעֵצִים. י וַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְרָהָם אֶת-יָדוֹ, וַיִּקַּח אֶת-הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת, לִשְׁחֹט, אֶת- בְּנוֹ. יא וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ ה, מִן-הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַיֹּאמֶר, אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם; וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּנִי. יב וַיֹּאמֶר, אַל-תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֶל-הַנַּעַר, וְאַל-תַּעַשׂ לוֹ, מְאוּמָה: כִּי עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי, כִּי-יְרֵא אֱלֹקים אַתָּה, וְלֹא חָשַׂכְתָּ אֶת-בִּנְךָ אֶת-יְחִידְךָ, מִמֶּנִּי. יג וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת- עֵינָיו, וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה-אַיִל, אַחַר, נֶאֱחַז בַּסְּבַךְ בְּקַרְנָיו; וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אֶת-הָאַיִל, וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ לְעֹלָה תַּחַת בְּנוֹ. יד וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, ה יִרְאֶה, אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר הַיּוֹם, בְּהַר ה יֵרָאֶה. טו וַיִּקְרָא מַלְאַךְ ה, אֶל-אַבְרָהָם, שֵׁנִית, מִן-הַשָּׁמָיִם. טז וַיֹּאמֶר, בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם-ה: כִּי, יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, וְלֹא חָשַׂכְתָּ, אֶת-בִּנְךָ אֶת-יְחִידֶךָ. יז כִּי-בָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ, וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְכַחוֹל, אֲשֶׁר עַל-שְׂפַת הַיָּם; וְיִרַשׁ זַרְעֲךָ, אֵת שַׁעַר אֹיְבָיו. יח וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ, כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ, עֵקֶב, אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִי. יט וַיָּשָׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל-נְעָרָיו, וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ יַחְדָּו אֶל-בְּאֵר שָׁבַע; וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְרָהָם, בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע.

3. The highest symbol of the Jewish faith is the stance of Avraham on Mount Moriah, where all human values we annulled and overrided by the fear and love of God. The Akeida is man’s absolute mastery over his own nature. ‘Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey.’ Abarbanel explains that saddled his ass means that he overcame his materiality, that is his physical nature – a pun on the phonetically similar hamor (donkey) and homer (matter). The matter or nature includes all the benevolent sentiments as well as man’s conscience; all the factors in man’s makeup which an atheistic humanism regards as ‘good’...from such a standpoint (daily performance of Mitzvot), the question of ’what does religion offer to me’ must be completely dismissed. The only proper question is ‘what am I obligated to offer for the sake of religion’ (Yeshayahu Leibowitz) In what areas of human endeavour does Judaism recommend self-defeat? Self- defeat is demanded in those areas in which man is most interested, where the individual expects to find the summum bonum, the realization of his most cherished ream or vision, where, in the opinion of pragmatic man, it is absolutely necessary for the individual to win, since losing the battle would mean total failure and frustration. It is precisely in those areas that God requires man to withdraw, God tells man to withdraw from whatever man most desires. It is true of the father of the nation, as well as of plain and ordinary people. (Majesty and Humility) Build an altar. Arrange the pieces of wood. Kindle the fire. Take the knife to slaughter your existence for My sake thus commands the awe-some God Who suddenly appears from absolute seclusion. This approach is the basis of prayer. Man surrenders himself to God. He approaches the awesome God and the approach expresses itself in the sacrifice and Akeida of oneself (Joseph Soloveitchik: Raayanot Hatefilah) Submission vs. Assertiveness CALEV BEN DOR “Given that there was no prior revelation instructing Avraham about the meaning or the rules of applying the concept of innocence, guilt and justice, Avraham must be seen as appealing to some generally accepted moral code of discourse that allowed, or rather compelled him to exclaim ‘far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly? Avraham’s appeal to principles of morality and compassion reflects his own overwhelming sense of their inherent normative force and validity. He can judge God’s intended actions without ‘quoting scripture’ or authoritative tradition because of a deep intuitive sense of justice and love which neither God not human being may violate. In this context, moral autonomy is not an expression of hubris or of the need to assert to human independence, but is compatible with and integral to a religious consciousness that believes that God you worship would never violate your fundamental moral intuitions of justice and love. In pleading for Sdom, Avraham felt that God was not beyond his own understanding of moral argument and persuasion. [the Sdom paradigm] says ‘bring your moral intuitions, your subjective sense of dignity and justice into your understanding of the reality of God’. Not only does it not threaten or undermine religious consciousness, but it is actually necessary for recognizing the validity and applicability of the divine command. (David Hartman)

4. Having previously at Sdom thought it inconceivable and God would act against morality. Abraham now accepts it and ‘attentively listens to what God might say.’ The juxtaposition of the two texts represents resistance to the idea that one’s deepest selfhood can be identified in certitude with a single paradigm. I propose that the deepest contemporary meaning of the Akeida revolves around the question of whether one is able to conceive of oneself as having been mistaken of having misunderstood or having failed to comprehend all aspects of the context in which we live and act. One’s understanding of the world can be so challenged that one feels called to do what would never have been thought possible. Pragmatically speaking, to be open in principle to alternative moral futures is what it means to be ready to hear the voice of God…to be able to change one’s moral stance or judgment if that is what it should come to, is to heed the voice of God. We should remember that the Akeida Abraham commits no deed. He does not Slaughter Isaac. Were we to learn from this episode total submission to God in fact, this story would be ill suited to the lesson. For that – Isaac would have had to have been sacrificed. On the contemporary metaphorical reading I am advancing, the existential meaning of Avraham’s submission to God lies in his letting go of his favorite past understandings. Avraham receives a command and then has the command changed. He has a sacrifice, and then suddenly has no sacrifice, then just as suddenly has a sacrifice again in the form of the ram that he releases from the thicket in which it was entangled. What fashions our person of faith is an openness to the possibility of a future different from the past affecting her or his most cherished plans and convictions. A person without faith is committed to clinging desperately to his or her values, beliefs and traditions come what may. Not constant change but constant openness to the future is what a person of faith lives by. This is the contemporary meaning of the Akeida – to act and go forward with what is ours to do, yet not be so confident in any paradigm that we become at most the person of confidence (the hero of David Hartman) or resignation (the hero of Yeshayahu Leibowitz) and no more. (Jerome Gellman, Abraham! Abraham!) Breaking Paradigmatic Thinking