The Binding - a 5-part poem on the Akeidah (Binding of Isaac)
The story of Akeidat Yitzhak, or the Binding of Isaac, is one of the most suspenseful, and probably problematic, narratives in the Torah. For a father to be asked to sacrifice his son in order to prove his faith in God seems to be an almost sadistic test. Yet, I have always wondered who was really being tested. Was it merely Yitzhak or was it also his father Abraham. What about Sarah, who is not even mentioned in the narrative? And perhaps God was testing God's self. This poem imagines what what have been going through the minds of all four "characters" in the story at that time and ends with my own thoughts and response to the events in the narrative. As you read it, think about your own reactions and how you might see yourself in the story. L'shanah tovah u'metukah - a happy, sweet (and meaningful!) New Year, Rabbi Steve ----------------------------------------------------- The binding a poem in 5 parts I. bound faith Yitzhak my name Yitzhak a verb he