“They came to the place that God had told him; Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar, upon the wood” (Genesis 22:9). “They came to the place that God had told him; Abraham built the altar there” – and where was Isaac? Rabbi Levi said: He [Abraham] had taken him and concealed him, saying: ‘[I do this] so that that the one who is the subject of His rebuke will not throw a stone at him and disqualify him from being an offering.’
“Abraham built the altar there…and he bound Isaac his son” – Rabbi Ḥofni bar Yitzḥak said: For every action that our patriarch Abraham did in binding up his son Isaac below, [on earth], the Holy One blessed be He placed constraints on the guardian angels of the idolaters above, [in Heaven].19In the merit of Abraham’s actions in binding Isaac, the hands of the idolaters’ guardian angels were tied and restrained from bringing harm to Israel in the future.
But He did not do so [categorically]. Rather, when Israel distanced themselves [from God] in the days of Jeremiah, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘What do you think, that these restraints are permanent?’ It is as it is stated: “For they are like [ad] tangled thorns [sirim], and like drunken drunks” (Nahum 1:10) – for is it forever [ad] that the guardian angels [sarim] are entangled? [No, it is not.]
Rather, when they [Israel] become “like drunken drunks,”20Becoming “drunk” with sins. those restraints become untied, as it is written: “They will be consumed like dried whole straw” (Nahum 1:10).21Just as dried straw is easily and swiftly consumed by fire, so will those bonds restraining the guardian angels melt away easily and swiftly from their hands. At the moment that our patriarch Abraham extended his hand to take the knife to slaughter his son, the ministering angels wept.
That is what is written: “Behold, the angels cried out outside [ḥutza]” (Isaiah 33:7) – what is ḥutza? Rabbi Azarya said: It is beyond [ḥutza] the bounds of natural conduct for a person to slaughter his son. What were they saying [as they wept]? “The highways are desolate” (Isaiah 33:8) – Does Abraham not receive passersby?22Let that merit cause You to allow him to keep his son.
“Those passing on the way [oraḥ] have ceased” (Isaiah 33:8) – just as it says: “It had ceased to be with Sarah [the manner of [oraḥ] women]” (Genesis 18:11).23“Those passing on the way” is an allusion to Sarah. They beseeched God to take her into consideration. “He breached the covenant” (Isaiah 33:8) – “I will fulfill My covenant with Isaac” (Genesis 17:21).24Is it possible that God has abandoned His covenant with Isaac?
“He has spurned the cities” (Isaiah 33:8) – “He [Abraham] dwelled between Kadesh [and Shur]”25Abraham chose to live on the road rather than in a settled city, so that he could extend kindness to weary wayfarers. (Genesis 20:1). “He had no regard for man” (Isaiah 33:8) – is there no merit in existence for [sparing] Abraham? That is astonishing. And what tells you that the verse is referring specifically to ministering angels?
Mimaal is stated here,26“And he placed him on the altar, upon [mimaal] the wood.” and elsewhere it is stated: “Seraphim were standing above [mimaal] him” (Isaiah 6:2).