Ile the New

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1.21nn TIZILO 713V5

that this story of one faithful
individual can be removed
from the realm of his entire
family.
Is Abraham aware of the ef-
fect of his actions on his fami-
ly? In addition to the exclu-
sion of other characters, the
biblical narrative is lacking
in its failure to express
Abraham's thoughts about
what he is going through.
Does he realize the impact of
God's command? His
eagerness to comply seems to
doubt that he is conscious of
the severity of his mission.
This is where the Satan
character plays an important
role. There he is probing
Abraham with both words
and physical restraints, try-
ing to draw out his innermost
feelings. Do you realize what
you are doing? Do you under-
stand what it means to kill
your own child? Are you
aware of the impact which
this will have on the child's
mother?
It is significant to note that
Satan appears to Abraham as
an old man and to Isaac as a
youth. He takes on the form
of his counterpart, as if to tell
us that these characters are
actually speaking to them-
selves. It seems that even
looking into a mirror,
Abraham denies the real pur-
pose of his mission. He can't
even keep his story straight —
is his alibi to pray, study
Torah or work? He is unable
or unwilling to open up, to ad-
mit how much he is concern-
ed about the fates of his son
and wife. But when they are
drowning in the river of
Satan, then Abraham comes
to grips with the possibility
that Isaac could die as a
result of this religious
experience.
The Torah tells a story of
one individual. But it is in-
conceivable to the rabbis that
Abraham viewed religion as
an individual experience. We
are even told that Abraham
and Sarah share spiritual
values. When she recovers
from the shock of Satan's
disclosure, she immediately
shifts moods and declares her
faith in God, using similar
language to that of Abraham.
The biblical account of the
binding of Isaac appeals to us
because it is short and sweet.
But it doesn't tell the whole
story. It omits the complexity
of Abraham's life, both
religious and otherwise. It
omits how Abraham's in-
dividual actions affect his
family, and how the existence

of his family affects his
behavior and words.
Abraham, though famous
for being a man of strong in-
dividuality, is not a role
model for the "me first"
generation of today. We
should learn from Abraham
to extend the focus of our lives
beyong personal goals and
take stock of our roles vis-a-
vis our families and
communities.
Shanah Tova.

❑

IIIII•1

I SYNAGOGUES I

Council Hosts
Rabbi Berel Wein

Rabbi Berel Wein will
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