Parshat Vayeira | HaGaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

"And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham,' and he said, 'Here I am.'" (Genesis 22)

The Akeidah (Binding) of Yitzchak

It is brought in Kings II that Israel defeated the camp of Moab and killed one hundred thousand soldiers among them. The King of Moab saw the great victory of the Jews, called all the sorcerers and magicians, and asked them: "What is the secret of the Jews? How did they defeat us in a single second? After all, they had already been in the desert for several days in hunger! They didn't have a drop of water! How did everything turn around in one moment and they won? What is their merit? What is the secret of the Nation of Israel?"

They said to him: "The secret of the Nation of Israel is the Akeidah! The merit that stands for the Nation of Israel is the Binding of Yitzchak!" The Geulah (Redemption) will come only through Yitzchak! In the merit of Yitzchak, the Geulah will come! In the merit of the Akeidah, the Geulah will come! For Sarah Imenu said, "I want a son who will save the Nation of Israel! I want a son who will go to the Akeidah! I want a son who will argue with his father that he wants to be slaughtered! I want a son who will argue with Satan that he wants to be slaughtered!"

The moment Abraham Avinu led Yitzchak to the Akeidah, Satan did not know what to do... He did not know how to annul this Akeidah. He knew that if the Akeidah took place, it would stand as a merit for the Nation of Israel for all generations! He knew that if the Akeidah was carried out, he was lost! Therefore, he used every trick to prevent the Akeidah! At first, he turned into a river, then he disguised himself as an old man (Sanhedrin 89b), but nothing helped him!

Then Satan said to Yitzchak: "I heard from behind the Heavenly Curtain, 'The lamb for the offering! And not Yitzchak for the offering!' The fact that you are going to be slaughtered is all a show! The fact that they are leading you to the Akeidah is all wonderful, but it won't happen in the end! I am telling you! There will be no Akeidah! Rather, they will sacrifice the lamb for the offering and not you!" Then Yitzchak cried out, "Father, what are we doing?! 'Where is the lamb for the offering?' I want to be the lamb for the offering! Father, will I be an offering to Hashem?!" Yitzchak was constantly afraid that Abraham would find some lamb on the way and sacrifice the lamb as an offering instead of him. And Yitzchak argued with Abraham: "Father, Satan told me they aren't slaughtering me—why?! Father, why?! What did I do, what did I sin?! Father, tell me what I sinned?! Why aren't they slaughtering me?!"

Then Abraham said to him: "My son, you are for the offering—distract your mind from Satan! Forget about Satan! You are for the offering, my son! We are going to be bound for Kiddush Hashem (Sanctification of God's Name) literally! Forget everything he told you! You have nothing to worry about; they will slaughter you, they will bind you, you are truly going to be bound! You are Holy of Holies! You are entirely for Hashem!" The moment Yitzchak heard the happy news that he would be bound, his soul returned to him.

Abraham Avinu saw everything that would happen until the end of all generations. Hashem revealed to Abraham everything that would occur in every generation; there was nothing Hashem did not reveal to Abraham Avinu. He saw all the decrees, all the Holocausts that would be. By binding his son—in this Akeidah—Abraham Avinu took upon himself all the suffering until the end of all generations. In this Akeidah, he already exempted everyone from their obligation of all the bindings in the world, from all the suffering in the world. In the Akeidah, he sweetened all the *Dinim* (judgments) until the end of all generations.

It is written in the Parshah of the Akeidah, "And behold, a ram afterwards was caught in the thicket (*sevach*)." The thicket (*sevach*) hints at the Sin of the Golden Calf! What is the meaning of "caught in the *sevach*"? [In the Hebrew alphabet,] after the letter *Samech* (ס) is the letter *Ayin* (ע); after the letter *Bet* (ב) is the letter *Gimel* (ג); after the letter *Chaf* (ך) is the letter *Lamed* (ל). This spells *Egel* (עגל - Calf). Abraham Avinu saw the Sin of the Golden Calf! He saw everything! And through the Akeidah, he sweetened all the judgments for all generations.

The moment Abraham Avinu offered the Akeidah, a *Bas Kol* (Heavenly Voice) came out and said, "Do not do anything to him," "Do not do anything to him." This accompanies the Nation of Israel in all generations. If a person recites the Parshah of the Akeidah every day, then a *Bas Kol* comes out and says, "Do not do anything to him." A *Bas Kol* comes out and says, "Do not send your hand against the lad, and do not do anything to him."

If he says the Parshah of the Akeidah with *kavanah* (intent), not missing a single word or letter, then he is saved from all the decrees and all the judgments of that day! He is promised that on that day he will suffer no damage! "Do not do anything to him"—he will have no accident! A person could be in Auschwitz, in the Holocaust, and nothing will happen to him! Every time a person recites the Akeidah, a *Bas Kol* comes out and proclaims anew: "Do not send your hand against the lad, and do not do anything to him!" Do not do anything to him! He sweetens all the judgments.

Every day there are new decrees. A person does not know—a child walks in the street, gets off the bus, gets on a minibus; every movement, especially with children, requires angels to guard them. "For He will command His angels for you, to guard you in all your ways." According to nature, it is impossible for the child to return healthy and whole; it is only angels guarding them! Therefore, when a person reads the Akeidah in the morning, a *Bas Kol* comes out and says, "Do not send your hand against the lad." Through the Akeidah, one sweetens the judgments over the "lads," over the children. If, God forbid, there was some decree upon a child that day, by saying the Parshah of the Akeidah in the morning, one sweetens that specific judgment.

When a person begins prayer in the morning, he must say the Parshah of the Akeidah, for one must never give up on the Parshah of the Akeidah! Anyone who merits reading the Order of the Akeidah merits being saved from all the troubles of that day! (See *Seder HaYom*). And one must mention the Akeidah every day! Because through the Binding of Yitzchak, all judgments were sweetened until the end of all generations! Since every day there are new decrees, and one needs to sweeten the decrees, therefore one is obligated to say the Order of the Akeidah with intent! Never skip it.