Commentary for Genesis 22:18

והתברכו בזרעך כל גויי הארץ, if and when your descendants will join together in proclaiming the holy name of the Lord, the nations of the world will be blessed as they will try to follow your example and to be like you.

והתברכו, the meaning of this word is not identical with the wordונברכו in 12,3 which we explained at the time as meaning that wherever you would reside the people around you would benefit from you or your children’s proximity. In this verse the meaning of the word והתברכו is that the gentile nations, thanks to their prayers, will accumulate merits and therefore blessings for themselves. They will make the kind of blessings Avraham has experienced the focus of their own prayers. They will acknowledge Avraham’s G’d as the source of all blessings.

And through your seed will be blessed, etc.: This is a blessing in of itself - that they should find grace and kindness in the eyes of the nations of the world to the point that they be blessed by them.

שכר .עקב kommt in der Bedeutung, die wir damit verknüpfen, Belohnung für Guttaten des Gerechten, fast gar nicht in תנ"ך vor. Der Gerechte hat keine "Einbuße" im Dienste Gottes, selbst das größte Opfer, das er brächte, wäre dem Gerechten an sich schon der größte Gewinnst; שכר (verwandt mit סגר und סכר, Lücke ausfüllen, Lücke schließen), "Ersatz" kennt er daher nicht, weil er keinen Verlust kennt; würde er auf Ersatz hoffen, er wäre der Gerechte nicht. Der Segen, der aus seinem Wirken erblüht, kommt ihm עֵקֶב, wörtlich: "auf die Ferse" seines Wirkens. Es ist nicht das, was er mit seinem Wirken "im Auge" hat, es kommt ihm "unbeabsichtigt". Er will nur seine Pflicht tun. (Daher heißt עקב auch: betrügen, buchstäblich: "berücken"; jemand rücklings misshandeln, wovor er sich nicht in acht nehmen kann). Hier bezieht sich das עקב entweder auf das Ganze: alles dies, dein, deiner Nachkommen und der Völker Segen kommt in Folge deines Gehorsams, den du mir bewiesen; oder es bezieht sich nur auf das letzte: jetzt bist du nur vereinzelt im Gehorsam gegen mich, allein in letzter Folge deines jetzt so vereinzelt stehenden Gehorsams wird einst die Gesamtmenschheit sich dem Segenswege deiner Nachkommen anschließen. —

עקב אשר שמעת בקולי, as a consequence. This is what we know as the concept of שכר מצוה מצוה, that the fulfillment of one commandment begets the opportunity of fulfilling another commandment. By doing this you will receive the satisfaction that your children will be a banner to the nations, teachers to the gentile nations instructing them in how to serve the Lord. All of this will accrue to you as a credit, a merit.

Because you have listened to My voice: This blessing is not because he did not withhold his son, but rather because he understood the voice of God. And he learned from His words that His will was to have a fixed sacrifice, like the law of communal altars - as I wrote above, [verse] 9 (Haamek Davar on Genesis 22:9). Hence his children merited that a thread of grace would be extended over them [when giving these sacrifices], like the principle of the one who occupies himself with Torah. As it is found in Avodah Zarah 3b, "Anyone who occupies himself with Torah at night, a thread of kindness, etc." And we have already explained several times that the meaning of listening to the voice, is understanding and precise inference about [the speaker's] words. And see Deuteronomy 30:2, as we learned from there that it is necessary to explain it that way. And also see verse 20 there.

עקב, as a reward. It is an apt simile, seeing that he heel, עקב is the lower end of the body, so the reward is what one acquires at the conclusion of performing G’d’s commandments.

אשר שמעת בקולי, both in this instance as well as in all the other instructions I have issued to you