"These are the generations of Isaac, son of Abraham; Abraham begot Isaac" (Genesis 25:19). The verse says it twice, and the rabbis asked why. Their answer: to show that the gift given to Abraham — "I will make you into a great nation" (Genesis 12:2) — was not complete until Isaac existed. The promise required a child. The child made the patriarch's greatness real.
Abraham had asked God directly, before Isaac was born: "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I am childless?" (Genesis 15:2). The covenant had been made. The land had been promised. But without a successor, everything reverted to nothing. God took Abraham outside and showed him the stars: "So shall your seed be" (Genesis 15:5). And Abraham believed. The rabbis called this the paradigmatic act of faith: belief in something you cannot yet see, cannot yet count, cannot yet touch — only promised.
The generations of Isaac are also the generations of Jacob, who becomes Israel, who becomes the people who carry the promise forward. Each link in the chain is a kind of miracle. Isaac was born to a hundred-year-old father and a ninety-year-old mother. Jacob was born to a father who had no intention of marrying the woman who became his mother. The rabbis saw divine management in every generation — not eliminating the human struggle, but ensuring that the line did not break. The gift to Abraham had to arrive somewhere. Every generation of Isaac is evidence that it still is.
Chapter 36: Writings [1] song of ascents. I lift my eyes to the mountains, etc. (Psalms 121:1). "Until the day breathes and the shadows flee" (Song of Songs 2:17). Since Israel is subjected to kingdoms, they say "Master of the Universe, until when will the nations rule over us?" as it is written, "How long will I harbor counsel within my soul, agony in my heart all day?" (Psalms 13:3) And the Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, "Until the dawn breaks forth," as it is said, "Until the day breathes and the shadows flee" (Song of Songs 2:17). The shadows refer to the kingdoms, as it is said, "Woe to us, for the day is turning, for the shadows of evening lengthen" (Jeremiah 6:4), and so too, Moses says, "Remove the veil from their faces" (Numbers 14:9). At that hour, Israel sits in peace and says, "Your heart will meditate on fear" (Isaiah 33:18). This fear is the kingdom of Babylon, and "four living creatures of terror and strength" (Daniel 7:7) are its measure. "Where is the scribe, where are the weighers" (Isaiah 33:18), where are the tax collectors who would weigh out their taxes? The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, "Do not fear, you will not see a fierce people" (Isaiah 33:19). And the shades will flee, missing two things, and returning two things, as it says, "And the redeemed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will be upon their heads" (Isaiah 51:11). Here are two things. "And sorrow and sighing will flee away" (Isaiah 35:10), here are two more things. Therefore it says, "Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away" (Song of Songs 4:6). In the merit of whom? In the merit of he who said, "I will go to the mountain of myrrh" (Song of Songs 4:6), this is Abraham. Just as myrrh is the head of spices, so too Abraham is the head of the righteous. "And to the hill of frankincense" (Song of Songs 4:6), this is Isaac, who was bound on the altar like frankincense, as it says, "And he laid him on the altar" (Genesis 22:9). [God] said to him, "Do not lay your hand on the boy" (Genesis 22:12). Isaac began to cry out, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains" (Psalms 121:1), but he did not do anything, except that "he saw, and behold a ram" (Genesis 22:13). At that moment he said, "My help comes from the Lord" (Psalms 121:2).
