Word Prompt - AKEIDAH - Yehuda Pryce

The Akeidah can cause uneasiness to our moral sensibilities. The unflinching acquiescence of Avraham to the Divine instruction to sacrifice his son because the Giver of morality commanded him to do so doesn’t immediately satisfy the ethical palate of those unfamiliar with the significance of the Akeidah. Avraham’s test in the Akeidah was to overcome his inherent love for his son through his proper fear of G-d, and more noteworthy, compelled by his intrinsic love of Hashem.

In the Akeidah, Yitzchak assents to allow his father to sacrifice him, which speaks volumes to the continuity of Am Yisrael as promised by Hashem after the Akeidah. The shofar that is sounded during Rosh Hashana is connected to the ram that was substituted for Yitzchak and what living as a frum Yid is predicated on – fear and love of G-d. Despite facing incomprehensible challenges, fear and love of G-d allows for Jewish history to continue, with many of us reciting the Akeidah daily, and more centrally on Rosh Hashana, as we transmit our heritage of proper avodas Hashem from generation to generation.

By recalling the Akeidah on Rosh Hashana, we remember G-d’s promise to Avraham as a result of Avraham’s fear and love of G-d; we do teshuva and seek to be judged in the merit of our forefathers, recommitted to growing in our awe and love of Hashem.