In the Seventh Month and the Binding of Isaac on Rosh Hashanah

Pesikta Rabbati 40:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first of the month, you shall have a sabbath, a memorial of the blast, a holy convocation" (Leviticus 23:24). Our master taught us: how many blessings must a person pray on Rosh Hashanah? Our sages taught: nine blessings, corresponding to the nine mentions of the divine Name in the passage of Hannah, and the prayer of Rosh Hashanah was learned from the passage of Hannah. As it is written there, "The LORD will judge the ends of the earth" (1 Samuel 2:10). And when does the Holy One, blessed be He, judge the world and find it meritorious? On Rosh Hashanah He judges His creatures and finds them meritorious, for He desires to acquit His creatures and not to condemn them, as it says, "As I live, says the LORD, I do not desire the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11). Why does He desire to justify His creatures? Rabbi Yehudah bar Nachman said in the name of Resh Lakish: the Holy One, blessed be He, said: when I am victorious, I lose, and when I am defeated, I gain. I was victorious over the generation of the Flood, and I lost, for I destroyed all those multitudes. So too the generation of the Dispersion and the people of Sodom. But in the matter of the calf, Moses defeated Me, as it says, "Why, O LORD, should Your anger burn" (Exodus 32:11), and I gained all those multitudes. Therefore I acquit all My creatures so that I do not lose. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham to offer his son, He said, "Take now your son, your only one, whom you love" (Genesis 22:2). He said: which of them? He said: your only one. He said: each is the only one to his mother. He said: whom you love. He said: Master of the worlds, are there boundaries within the heart? This one I love and that one I love. He said: Isaac. Why all this? To make him precious in his eyes. Abraham bound Isaac upon the altar and took the knife to slaughter him. Isaac said to him: Father, bind my hands and feet, for the soul is impetuous, lest I see the knife coming upon me and flinch and be made unfit for the offering. As Abraham came to draw the knife across his throat, the angels wept and cried out before the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says, "Behold, the valiant ones cry out in the street" (Isaiah 33:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Michael: why do you stand? Let him not touch him. Michael began to call, "Abraham, Abraham" (Genesis 22:11), twice, for he was hastening to slaughter him. He said to him: do not lay your hand upon the lad. He said: shall I then strangle him? He said: do not do anything to him. Rabbi Yirmeyah said: Abraham said before Him: Master of the world, it was revealed before You that I had what to answer when You told me to offer Isaac; I could have said, yesterday You told me, "In Isaac shall your seed be called" (Genesis 21:12), and now You tell me to slaughter him. Yet I did not answer You, but made myself as a mute and a deaf man. So when the children of Isaac are judged before You on this day, even if many accusers stand to accuse them, just as I was silent and did not answer You, so do You not regard them. "Behold, a ram caught in the thicket" (Genesis 22:13): the Holy One, blessed be He, said: see what is before you. When your children are entangled and caught in sins, what shall they do? With its horns they shall take these horns and blow with them, and I will remember the binding of Isaac and acquit them in judgment.

Themes

RepentanceSacrificeDivine Compassion

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