FROM THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

The Akeida (The Binding)

“And it came to be after these events that Elohim tried Avraham, and said to him, ‘Avraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Take your son, now, your only son Yitschaq, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriyah, and offer him there as an ascending offering on one of the mountains which I command you.’ And Avraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Yitschaq his son. And he split the wood for the ascending offering, and arose and went to the place which Elohim had commanded him. And on the third day Avraham lifted his eyes and saw the place from a distance. So Avraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go over there and worship, and come back to you.’ And Avraham took the wood of the ascending offering and laid it on Yitschaq his son. And he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. And Yitschaq spoke to Avraham his father and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ And he said, ‘See, the fire and the wood! But where is the lamb for an ascending offering?’ And Avraham said, ‘My son, Elohim does provide for Himself the lamb for an ascending offering.’ And the two of them went together. And they came to the place which Elohim had commanded him, and Avraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order. And he bound Yitschaq his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Avraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son, but the Messenger of YHWH called to him from the heavens and said, ‘Avraham, Avraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy, nor touch him. For now I know that you fear Elohim, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’ And Avraham lifted his eyes and looked and saw behind him a ram caught in a bush by its horns, and Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up for an ascending offering instead of his son. And Avraham called the name of the place, YHWH Yireh, as it is said to this day, ‘On the mountain YHWH provides.’ And the Messenger of YHWH called to Avraham a second time from the heavens, and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, declares YHWH, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I shall certainly bless you, and I shall certainly increase your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore, and let your seed possess the gate of their enemies. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.’”