Date: November 10th 2022

“Take, please, your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitzchok and go for yourself to Moriah and bring him as an offering.” In this progression, as recorded in parshas Vayera, Hashem instructed Avraham to sacrifice Yitzchok (22:2).
Rashi asks- why did Hashem describe Yitzchok in this step by step way instead of simply saying ‘take Yitzchok’? Rashi answers that words of the pasuk reflect the conversation Hashem had with Avraham:
“Take your son.”
“I have two sons.”
“Your only son;”
“Each one is an only son from his mother.”
“Whom you love.”
“I love them both.”
“Yitzchock;”

Rashi explains that Hashem gave the commandment to sacrifice Yitzchok in this circuitous manner in order not to confuse Avraham.

The Sifsei Chachomim further explains that the reason for this approach was that if Hashem would initially have simply described Yitzchok by name, naysayers would claim that Avrohom reacted as he did out of haste due to the overwhelming nature of the command and perhaps had he not been so shocked he would not have complied. Hashem therefore addressed him gradually so it would be clear that Avraham acted out of conviction rather than confusion.
The interpretation of Rashi, as explained by the Sifsei Chachomim yields two incredible insights into the process of decision making.
The decision at hand was the most intense, consequential, and complex of Avraham’s life. Avraham is the symbol of kindness for all ages and his love and compassion for humanity knew no bounds. Yitzchok was a miraculous child that was granted to Avraham and Sarah at the age of 100 and 90, respectively, and they were informed of this great gift by the mouth of the holiest of angels. Yitzchok was himself a great tzaddik and towering human being and he was destined to be the progenitor of the Jewish people, the very purpose for the creation of the universe. Nevertheless, there would have been a basis for people to claim that Avraham only made this decision because of a state of panic and had he more time to digest the facts he would have acted differently. We see from here the incredible impact haste and confusion have on the decision making process. Apparently, the decision of even such a wise, mature, and holy individual such as Avraham could have been affected in a matter of t
he life and death of his beloved child which had significance to the entire history of the world.
In addition to this observation, even if Avraham had made the initial decision to go through with this command out of haste and confusion, there was an intervening period when he prepared for the trip and traveled to Moriah. Would that time not have been sufficient for Avraham to consider his actions carefully and change course if warranted? Why wouldn’t the delay in carrying out the action be enough to prove that Avraham was acting out of deep conviction with both eyes open? It seems that once the initial decision was arrived at under less than ideal circumstances, that decision would influence Avraham’s thinking all the way through the conclusion of the episode. Human nature is such that it is extremely difficult to change course once a person sets himself on a particular course of action. This dynamic could have played a role in Avraham’s sacrificing his son despite the fact that the decision that was made was extremely grave, difficult, and painful. How much more so would
this apply to a decision that is not completely against a person’s nature and interests. This was true in the case of Avraham making the correct decision to follow Hashem’s command, but it would be equally so in the case of a wrong decision.
We see from here how careful we must be to take the time to carefully consider when making an important decision and to strive to have a clear and settled mind when doing so. In addition, we need to be aware of the influence our decisions and behaviors have on our own thought process and not allow ourselves to become locked into a decision just because it was initially decided a certain way.
We can see this dynamic vividly and sadly in the political polarization of the world today. Despite the endless mediums available to us to converse with each other and the attention our society pays to conversations about current issues, nothing productive is ever achieved. No one ever changes their minds. No compromises are reached. Even the ability to understand the position of the other side seems to be totally unattainable. People arrive at bizarre convictions and positions because the circumstances under which they are encountering the issues are fraught with pressure and agitation, and once people choose a position, it is nearly impossible to change their minds.


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