חַ֭שְׁתִּי וְלֹ֣א הִתְמַהְמָ֑הְתִּי לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃
Spieszę, a nie zwlekam, przestrzegać przykazań Twoich.
Aggadat Bereshit
[3] Another interpretation: "And God tested [Abraham]." (Genesis 22:1) "I am always mindful of your commandments and do not delay in keeping your commandments" (Psalms 119:60). This refers to Avraham, who quickly obeyed God's command to sacrifice his son Yitzhak. Unlike Lot, his nephew, who lingered and hesitated. (Genesis 19:16) As soon as God said to Abraham, "Take your son" (Genesis 22:2), Abraham got up early in the morning and immediately set out on his journey. He doesn't see He saw nothing the first day and continued on his way. He woke up early the second day and saw nothing. It was not until the third day that he saw the divine presence standing on the mountain, as it is said, "On the third day Avraham looked up and saw the place afar off." (Genesis 22:4) Here it says "from afar" and elsewhere it says, "From afar Hashem appeared to me" (Jeremiah 31:2). Why did God wait until the third day to reveal the place to Abraham? So that the nations of the world would not say that Avraham sacrificed his son brazenly, but that he had thought about it and done it out of love for God. When God revealed himself to Avraham, his fear overwhelmed him and he lost his mind. But he went ahead and sacrificed his son. If he had waited even an hour, he wouldn't have done it. That is why God said he would suffer for three days so that everyone would know that he had acted out of love and not fear. As it says, "On the third day." (Genesis 22:4) When Avraham was about to slaughter his son, God's grace overcame him, and he cried out: "Do not raise your hand against the son." (Genesis 22:12) Rabbi Avin said in the name of Rabbi Helkiya: "It is foolishness for liars to say that God has a son. If the son of Avraham, when he saw that he had to be sacrificed, and could not bear to see it, immediately cried out." Lay not your hand upon the son, etc. (Genesis 22:12), for if God had had a son, He would have allowed him [His son] to be sacrificed. He would not have turned the world into chaos and emptiness. That is why Solomon says "[God] is one, and there is no other, neither has he son or brother." (Ecclesiastes 4:8) And for the love of Israel they are called sons, as it is said, 'My firstborn son, Israel.' (Exodus 4:22)