Midrash su Salmi 89:35

Another interpretation (of Gen. 22:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS, < THAT GOD TESTED ABRAHAM >. This text is related (to Ps. 89:35 [34]): I WILL NOT DEFILE MY COVENANT, NOR WILL I ALTER THE UTTERANCE OF MY LIPS. R. Aha said: I WILL NOT DEFILE MY COVENANT, the one which I made with Abraham when I said to him (according to Gen. 21:12): FOR IN ISAAC SHALL SEED BE SUMMONED FOR YOU. (Ps. 89:35 [34]:) NOR WILL I ALTER THE UTTERANCE OF MY LIPS, because I have said to him (in Gen. 22:2): PLEASE TAKE < YOUR SON >. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who said to his friend: I yearn to see a small child on my table. Immediately his friend went, brought his son, and set him on the table before the king. Then he went and brought his sword to slaughter him. Immediately, however, the king cried out and said to him: What are you doing? He said to him: But did you not say to me: I yearn to see a small child on my table. He said to him: I told you a living child. < Would > I have possibly < meant > a dead one? Similarly the Holy One said to Abraham: PLEASE TAKE YOUR SON. Immediately (in Gen. 22:9f.): AND ABRAHAM BUILT AN ALTAR THERE … THEN ABRAHAM STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND < AND TOOK THE KNIFE TO SLAUGHTER HIS SON >. The angel cried to him (in vs. 12): DO NOT RAISE YOUR HAND AGAINST THE LAD. Abraham said to him: Did you not say to me (in vs. 2): PLEASE TAKE YOUR SON? He said to him: Would I have told you¹⁴³Buber reads “him” here. to slaughter him? Ergo (in Ps. 89:35 [34]): I WILL NOT DEFILE MY COVENANT, NOR WILL I ALTER THE UTTERANCE OF MY LIPS.

Thus have our masters taught: (According to Jer. 19:5:) < AND THEY HAVE BUILT HIGH PLACES TO BAAL FOR BURNING THEIR SONS IN THE FIRE, BURNT OFFERINGS TO BAAL >, WHICH I NEVER COMMANDED, NEVER SPOKE FOR, AND WHICH NEVER ENTERED MY MIND. I did not command Jephthah (in Jud. 11) to sacrifice his daughter, and I did not tell the king of Moab (in II Kings 3:27) to sacrifice his son. Moreover, it NEVER ENTERED MY MIND to tell Abraham to slaughter his son. On what did they base a command concerning Jephthah? R. Mayasha said: WHICH I NEVER COMMANDED Jephthah. Now I did give him many < other > positive commandments and negative commandments because he was of Israel, but I did not command him to sacrifice his daughter. Nor did I speak to the king of Moab. Our masters have said: On what did they base an oracle to the king of Moab? It is simply that the Holy One said: Would I ever have spoken with him? Would it not have been a disgrace? Rather I did not speak with him at any time < about anything >, much less that he sacrifice his son! So it NEVER ENTERED MY MIND to tell Abraham to slaughter his son. Even though I said to him (in Gen. 22:2): PLEASE TAKE < YOUR SON >, it never entered my mind that he would slaughter his son. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 89:35 [34]): I WILL NOT DEFILE MY COVENANT.

Another explanation: Rabbi Itzchak said, "At the time that Avraham sought to bind Itzchak, his son, [the latter] said to him, 'Father, I am a young man and I am concerned lest my body shake from fear of the knife and I will trouble you, and lest the slaughtering will be invalid and it will not be considered a sacrifice for you. Rather, tie me very well.' Immediately, ‘and he bound Itzchak.' Could he really tie up a man of thirty-seven (a different version: of twenty six years)? Rather, it was with his agreement. Immediately. 'And Avraham sent his hand.' He sends his hand to take the knife and his eyes brings down tears and the tears fall onto the eyes of Itzchak from the mercy of his father. And nonetheless, the heart was happy to do the will of his Maker. And the angels gathered in many groups above them. What did they yell out? 'The ways have become desolate, the wayfarer has ceased; He has rescinded His covenant; He has become disgusted with the cities' (Isaiah 33:8) – He does not desire Jerusalem and the Temple that he had in mind to bequeath to the children of Itzchak. 'He did not consider a man' – merit did not stand Avraham well: 'No creation has importance in front of Me.'" Rabbi Acha said, "Avraham started to wonder, 'These words are only words of wonder. Yesterday, you told me (Genesis 21:12), "Because in Itzchak will your seed be called." And [then] you went back and said, "Please take your son." And now You say to me, "Do not send your hand to the youth." It is a wonder!' The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Avraham, "I will not profane My covenant and the utterances of My lips, I will not change" (Psalms 89:35) – When I said, "Please take your son," I did not say, "slaughter him," but rather, "and bring him up." For the sake of love did I say [it] to you: I said to you, "Bring him up," and you have fulfilled My words. And now, bring him down.’ [A different version: They said a parable about a king that said to his friend, 'Bring up your son to my table.' His friend brought him up and his knife was in his hand. The king said, 'And did I say to you, "Bring him up to eat him?" I said to you, "Bring him up"' – [and this was] because of [the king's] love.) This is [the meaning of] what is written (Jeremiah 19:5), 'it did not come up on My heart' – that is Itzchak."]