The Radak explains that last sentence as meaning that the nations shall pray to G-d: "Bless us as you have blessed the descendants of Abraham". Thus the Israelite tradition is one of Original Blessing - not Original Sin. Even though later blessings - [such as the ones in the second paragraph of the Shema: 'If you observe My Commandments… then I will bring the seasonal rains in their due time' (Deut. 11 13-14)] are conditional on the Israelites living up to their G-d-set expectations, there is a fundamental, underlying structure to the eternity of the relationship between G-d and His People. For the sufferings, agonies, and distress that were to form our history do not last forever - underlying it all is the eternity of the Israelite People as a people blessed by G-d. A similar idea is expressed for the eternity of the Israelite source of strength - the Torah - 'for it (the Torah) will never be forgotten…' (Deut. 31:21). It is indeed that underlying blessing that we recite on Rosh Hashanah: 'that You should forever remember the Binding of Isaac for Your Children: Blessed are You, G-d, who remembers the Covenant'.

However, the Akeida (Gen. 22, bringing the story of the near-offering of Isaac at the command of G-d) - typically taught to children at a very young age - is in fact one of the most frightening chapters in our sources, as it goes against the very fundamentals of human behavior. How may one explain G-d telling Abraham to do such a thing? Many commentators throughout out the ages attempt to clarify the story, and why Abraham's blessing became the Original Blessing for all time. Here is a suggestion.

The Kotzker Rebbe was asked: 'Where is G-d'. He answered: 'Wherever you bring Him in'.

This does not only apply in a geographical sense (exemplified by 'You shall make for Me a sanctuary and I shall dwell in it' - Ex. 25:8), but also in a spiritual sense. G-d 'lives' as it were, in the way people bring Him into their lives - every mitzvah performed lishma (as an act fulfilling His will and thereby bring us a step closer to Him) 'brings Him closer to us' - to 'new places within us'. Abraham's carrying out G-d's command brought His Creation closer to Him. For Abraham - His Creation admitted Him in the closest, most intimate way. He did so by recognizing that G-d is the Source of all things, exemplified by accepting that it is He that gives and He that takes (c.f. Job 1:21).

Abraham - who spent his entire life tuning into, and promoting, the teachings of G-d within a culture that did not recognize Him - started that process of 'bringing G-d to the consciousness of the people' (c.f. Rashi's comment to 24:7). Only such a person - who had spiritually progressed all his life - was in a position to be the one to bring G-d to the ultimate core of humanity - namely to be utterly in charge of the framework of between father and son. And as Abraham was the originator of bringing G-d to the most fundamental place in the heart of Man, so G-d put Abraham and his descendants and followers into a special place in the Creation: within the framework of the Original Blessing…

Written by Jacob Solomon. Tel 02 673 7998. E-mail: jacobsol@netvision.net.il for any points you wish to raise and/or to join those that receive this Parasha sheet every week.

Parashiot from the First, Second, and Third Series may be viewed on the Shema Yisrael web-site: http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/parsha/solomon/archives/archives.htm

Also by Jacob Solomon:
From the Prophets on the Haftara

Test Yourself - Questions and Answers

e-mail: jacobsol@netvision.net.il

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