Vayera: Beyond Our Nature

By Seth Jacobs

Avraham and Yitzchak were walking together towards הר המוריה. The wheels in יצחק’s head were turning, and he was beginning to realize what was happening. He turned to אברהם and said "אבי"  my father and then remained quiet, waiting for a response.

The כלי יקר explains that this was actually a question. יצחק wanted to see whether אברהם still saw him as a son, or whether he no longer cared and was acting out of his own volition.

When אברהם responded "הנני בני", I am here, my son יצחק naturally asked, “איה השה לעולה?” Where is the lamb we are going to offer? and אברהם responded “אלוקים יראה לו השה לעולה בני”, G-d will show us what we should sacrifice, my son. At that moment יצחק realized it was Hashem’s command and accepted it, demonstrating his own fear of Hashem and submission.

Yet at the end of this story, Hashem says to Avraham, “עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלוקים אתה” , Now I know that you fear G-d.

We already knew that אברהם was a tzadik,  this is the man who, three days after his bris, ran to perform הכנסת אורחים! Why does the Torah wait until this moment to declare that he is G-d fearing?

What makes this scene the definitive proof of his yiras Shamayim? Does it not say more about Yitzchak and his Yiras Shamayim than Avrahams?

The Gra teaches that each person has natural tendencies. One of אברהם’s was רחמים, mercy. When he saw three travelers in the desert, it was natural for him to invite them in. But when commanded to sacrifice his son, he had to act against his nature, against his core middah of chesed in order to fulfill Hashem’s will. That opposition to his nature is the proof of yiras Hashem.

This idea is echoed in the Midrash (Eikhah Rabbah 2:13):

אם יאמר לך אדם יש חכמה בגוים תאמין; יש תורה בגוים אל תאמין.

“If someone tells you there is wisdom among the nations, believe it. If they say there is Torah among the nations, do not believe it.”

The Lekach Tov (Parshas Vayeira, דף צ״ח) explains

חכמה  דבר המתקבל על הדעת. אבל תורה  גזירת מלך היא, שאנו מקבלים אותה אף על פי שאינה לפי טבענו. וזהו כי ידעתיו  שעתיד לעמוד בניסיון הגדול, ולעשות רצוני אף על פי שהוא נגד מידותיו, כי הוא איש חסד, והוא הולך לשחוט את בנו. וזהו שבחו.

Wisdom is what makes sense. Torah is the King’s decree, which we accept even if it opposes our nature. This is why Hashem praises Avraham. He acts faithfully even against his deepest inclinations, showing that his devotion is real and complete.

Rav Eliyahu Lopian, in Lev Eliyahu (Chelek Aleph, Parshas Vayeira, pp. רפ״ו–רפ״ט), builds on this idea. A true test is one that requires you to go above שב ואל תעשה. If you would naturally do something anyway, then how can that be a test? Yitzchak’s nature of Gevurah aligned with mesirus nefesh, but Avraham’s chesed was challenged. He had to act in complete submission to Hashem. Torah is about shaping us beyond our natural inclinations, we are required to follow its commandments even when it does not make sense.

And that is the lesson of the Akeidah. True fear of Hashem is not only in what comes naturally, but in what we do when it challenges who we are. Just as Avraham walked forward, trusting Hashem and acting against his instincts, we are called to follow Torah faithfully, even when it goes against our logic, our comfort, or our nature.