Liturgy על ויקרא 1:12

(Some say:) Though the pigeon offerings have ceased,¹The literal translation of the word רֶבַע is a quarter. In the time of the Temple a poor man was permitted to bring doves or young pigeons which were worth a quarter of a dinar for his offerings. though the tent of His dwelling is now empty, we need not lose [hope] for we have our old father (Abraham)./ Recognize his presence when we mention his righteousness before You: “Take your beloved son, and let his blood be wrung out at the side [of the Altar].”/ He ran to the lad and consecrated him, though his soul was bound up in his soul; he put the wood and fire around him, and the crown of his God was on his head.²Abraham was compared to the high priest who wore the crown of God upon his forehead. The only one, light as a deer, answered and said to his father, “Behold we are bringing the fire and wood, but there is no offering to bring.”/ He answered him with words that would not terrify him; his father said to him, “God will show [the lamb], and the Lord will let us know that which is His [sacrifice].”/ Both heeded Your commandment and did not question You; without hesitation, they hurried quickly to one of the mountains./ When they saw a cloud suspended (Bereishit Rabbah 56:1), they quickly [brought] the wood for the burnt-offering; together, linked closely in love, they walked straight through the wilderness as though it was a plain./ When the only one perceived that he was the lamb (Rashi on Genesis 22:8), he said to his father, the tested one,³God had tested Abraham with nine tests and this was the tenth. “Do with me as you would a lamb, have no pity and do not spare [me]./ He [God] has delight in me and desires me, to bare my heart to Him; should you refuse to sacrifice me, in the end my spirit and my soul will be gathered unto Him.”/ He (Abraham) bound his hands and feet, and held his sword over him; he laid him carefully on the wood as the fire blazed on the altar./ He stretched forth his neck willingly, and his father came close to slaughter him in the name of his Master, and behold, the Lord stood over him./ He observed what he had done, how the father had not spared his son, his heart he lifted upwards,⁴To do God’s will. and God saw all that he had done./ He called to the one who was sanctified from the womb (Abraham),⁵See Rashi on Psalms 110:3. “In exchange for your chosen son, behold there is another ram, offer it without delay.”/ The exchanged [ram] will be his offering, its burning will be proper and its smoke will ascend; and it will be [as if] he and his exchange [are offered before Me].