The Torah recounts: "And God tested Abraham and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' And He said, 'Take, I pray you, your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go with him to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, as I shall tell you.'" At the last minute, an angel stayed Abraham's hand as he raised the knife over his son.
This passage from the Torah is read on Rosh Hashanah, when the destinies of people for the entire year are determined, to remind us of the merits of the Jews and to incline the Heavenly Court to render a lenient verdict. This same theme is also recalled in the prayers of this day. It is also customary to read this passage daily before morning prayers.
Many ask why so much attention is paid to this particular, failed act of self-sacrifice. Almost every generation has holy martyrs who give their lives and the lives of their children in the name of the Almighty.
There are known cases where entire Jewish communities disappeared in a single colossal act of sacrifice: men killed their wives and children, and then themselves, to avoid forced baptism.
Hasidism explains that Abraham's merit lies in being the first. There were righteous men before him: Adam, Hanoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, Ever (who gave the Jews their name), and, apparently, many others not mentioned in the Torah. However, we first find a willingness to self-sacrifice in Abraham. According to the Midrash, Abraham first performed an act of self-sacrifice in Ur, before arriving in the Holy Land. He was sentenced to be burned for damaging the idols that Abraham's father sold.
What is the meaning of self-sacrifice, and why did Abraham's "discovery" require it to appear in the world?
Everything that exists is created in such a way that its existence is emphasized and tangible. To renounce one's essence (selflessness) and surrender (devotion) oneself to complete and absolute submission to the will of the Almighty requires special spiritual strength. Abraham attained this strength through persistent labor. Through many persistent searches, he found the Creator of the world. According to the Midrash, Abraham first performed the act of self-sacrifice in Ur, before arriving in the Holy Land. He was sentenced to be burned for damaging the idols that Abraham's father sold.
The sacrifice of Isaac is remarkable in that it revealed Abraham's complete, absolute self-denial. Abraham completely submitted not only his paternal instincts, but his entire self to God. For even his mind would have protested against this act if Abraham had listened to him.
Abraham's purpose in life was to spread knowledge of the One God among people. Abraham was already old by then. Young Isaac was ready to continue his father's work, and indeed he did. Moreover, God Himself, who commanded Isaac to be led to the slaughter, had previously promised that Isaac would continue his father's work.
Such selflessness was Abraham's revelation. Thanks to such selflessness, Abraham was deemed worthy of becoming the forefather of the Jewish people, who carry within their souls the capacity for complete submission of their "I" to the will of the Almighty.