G-d’s ultimate test to Abraham was that he bind and sacrifice Isaac, in order to see if his devotion was absolute. Judaism’s most illustrious ram is the ram which replaced Isaac as the sacrifice. This is why Isaac’s Akeidah story is the Torah reading on Rosh Hashana and a central theme of the high-holiday prayers.
This was an extraordinary ram, one of G-d’s final creations made at the end of the six days of creation just before the first Shabbos (Avos 5:6). Its mission was predestined 2,000 years before it was called into service.
“Abraham lifted his eyes – and saw that, behold! – there was a ram after it had been caught in the thicket by its horns.” Rams, even those with long horns, are typically able to avoid being caught in thickets. Furthermore, this ram was in an unusually close proximity to humans. Abraham immediately understood that this was no coincidence, but a sign. Therefore, “Abraham went, took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son” (Genesis 22:13).
The Midrash, “playing” on the words caught in the thicket, says: “Throughout the year the Jewish people become ‘caught up’ in sins and thereby become ‘entangled’ by suffering. Then, on Rosh Hashana, they sound a shofar and through this they are remembered by the Holy One, blessed be He, and He forgives them, in the merit of horn of this ram. In Messianic time, the Jewish people be to be redeemed ‘by the horn’ of the ram as it is stated, ‘and the L-rd G-d will sound with the shofar’” (Zechariah 9:14).
