Vayera: Self-sacrifice

Rav Johnny's original thoughts on the weekly parsha

This Shabbat we read the story of Akeidat Yitzchak, and according to the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 1:5), ‘it is good to recite the story of the Akeida, the story of the Manna, the Ten Commandments, the biblical rules relating to the [Korbanot of the] Olah, Mincha, Shelamim, Chatat and Asham [offerings]’ on a daily basis. This is why most siddurim feature the passage of Akeidat Yitzchak prior to the daily Korbanot. However, what does the Shulchan Aruch mean when it says that ‘it is good to recite the story of the Akeida'? And what should we be thinking about when we read or hear this story?

Rabbi Yosef Caro, the author of the Shulchan Aruch, explains in his Beit Yosef commentary that the reason why this story should be read is: ‘in order for us to remember the merits of our patriarchs before the Holy One Blessed be He, and in order to submit our will to serve God in the manner that Yitzchak gave his soul’.

What this means is that Parshat Akeidat Yitzchak needs to be read with an awareness of possible danger, and with a commitment that we should be prepared to be moser nefesh (to perform acts of self-sacrifice) in a manner comparable to Yitzchak if such situations arise.

It is for this reason that some communities have the custom of omitting Akeidat Yitzchak on festive days (eg. those days when Tachanun is omitted - see Piskei Teshuvot ibid.). Nevertheless, as we will do so this Shabbat, we read Akeidat Yitzchak once a year on Shabbat Parshat Vayera, as well as on Rosh Hashanah, and perhaps by doing so, we communicate the idea that sometimes we need to deal with heartrending situations even on a Shabbat and even on a festival.

As we know, four weeks ago, on a Shabbat and festive day, many of our brothers and sisters were forced to perform heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and as we know, many of them lost their lives doing so. In recent weeks, some of these stories have been publicized including that of Matan Abergel, a 19-year-old Golani fighter who jumped on a grenade to save his comrades. Notwithstanding the tireless efforts of medics, Matan tragically died from his wounds just seven minutes afterwards. However, in that time Matan somehow found the energy to say: "I tried to do everything to defend the people of Israel.”

Sometimes it is hard to know where such mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice) comes from whereby a young man like Matan took the decision to sacrifice himself to save many more.

But I imagine that some of his strength comes from the values drawn from Akeidat Yitzchak which, though depicting a very different circumstance, comes to teach us that there may be times when we must ‘submit our will to serve God in the manner that Yitzchak gave his soul.’

Shabbat Shalom!

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