Kaisipang Hudyo sa Genesis 15:6: Akeidat Yitzchak, Duties & Guide for the Perplexed

Though man's original equipment is supplied by G-d, and though his eventual accomplishments are subject to G-d’s benevolent guidance or otherwise, the fact that he was created "in the image of G-d," i.e. was given free choice, has made him the master of his own destiny. This means that he can achieve whatever he is capable of achieving since the means to do so have been placed at his disposal to use at his discretion. Once man begins to travel the path towards what his natural talents enable him to achieve, he can count on the active assistance of His Maker to facilitate his progress along that route. "He who comes to purify, is extended help" (Shabbat 104). This is what Moses meant when he said (Deut.30,11-14), "This commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you....in fact it is quite close to you." If one applies oneself properly to the truth of G-d’s revealed word, i.e the Torah, then appreciating it becomes a simple matter. From that point onwards there are no real impediments or difficulties in achieving one's aim. In this respect, the fortitude of Abraham surpassed that of anyone before him, since during the preceding generations people had become progressively more corrupt until they endangered the survival of their species. Even the few whose conduct at the time of their respective deaths merited a suspended sentence had failed to look toward heaven for inspiration to recognise their Creator. They were content merely not to question the tradition that G-d had indeed created the universe. Noach was such a person. His righteousness was tamim, whole, meaning he continued to believe what Lemech his father had believed and what both his father and his grandfather Methuselah had taught him. He made no intellectual effort to understand the basis for this belief or to develop it so that it would influence his personality development. "IN HIS GENERATIONS," i.e. through successive generations his righteousness remained static, did not become dynamic. His heart was pure, but his intellect was not involved. In Deut. 18,14, we are told, "Be whole with the Lord your G-d," that we are to accept the truths taught by our prophets. This means in particular that the request of the Jewish people at Mount Sinai to have Moses talk to them and be the intermediary between G-d and them would result in a perfect and enduring faith. The belief resulting from the experience of revelation is called emunah of a temimut quality. There are two ways of acquiring this absolute faith. The easy way is study of the Torah, a method granted to the Jewish people. The other way is via intellectual analysis, the only method available to man prior to the revelation at Mount Sinai. This method does not only require the determination of the truth seeker, but active help from G-d Himself. Those who in their search for understanding of this truth also employ all their intellectual faculties, arrive at a far deeper and lasting understanding. This is why David told his son Solomon, "Now my son Solomon, know the G-d of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart, a willing soul" (Chronicles I 28,9). Abraham's tremendous achievement was that though he did not have the tradition of a Noach since both his father and grandfather had been pagans (Joshua 24,2), he began to develop this faith through an intellectual approach. At first, he concentrated on demonstrating the complete bankruptcy of the belief held by his contemporaries. Afterwards, having travelled as far as it is possible to travel by means of one's intellect alone, with the help of G-d’s Personal Providence, he arrived at that level of faith in his Creator which the Torah describes as "He believed in the Lord, and the Latter gave him credit for this" (Genesis 15,6). Later, at the time of his cirumcision, Abraham would be asked, "Walk in front of Me," to demonstrate a degree of faith that surpasses what his intellect can comprehend. In this way, he would outclass Noach who had only "walked with G-d," his faith only keeping step with his intellectual faculties, never exceeding them.

When that time comes, Israel will excel on three fronts: true faith, willing acceptance of Torah laws, understanding same, as well as success in the political arena.

The story of Creation teaches that belief in fatalism is wrong. Since the Creator was free to create at that time, He will forever remain free to change His world and its laws whenever it pleases Him. (compare chapter 1 and chapter 15) Fear then is predicated on the assumption that what is dreaded need not necessarily happen, or need not necessarily fail to happen, since the ultimate decision is within the province of G'ds will and Power. We are therefore asked by the Torah not to relate to anything from a fatalistic point of view. We are asked to fear Him, just because He is able to either halt or precipitate the very events which we dread. Fear is the opposite of resignation then. If one were to assume that misconduct by man would inevitably result in retribution by G'd, then fear, which is the catalyst of repentance, would be replaced by resignation, and repentance would become almost impossible. (Chagigah 15, telling about the apostate Elisha ben Avuyah is a prime example of this approach). The latter had heard that the gates of repentance would be closed to him, and had therefore lost his incentive to do penitence, and to re-acquire the yir-ah expected of us. In his prayer, during the inauguration ceremonies of the temple, king Solomon used this very argument, lema-an yira-ucha, in order that they may fear You as long as they live on this earth." (Kings I 8.37-40) Concerning this "fear,"- which is identical with faith,- Rabbi Chaninah proclaims that whereas all is within the power of Heaven, imbuing someone with this faith is not within the power of Heaven, but is solely up to the believer himself. For this reason, Abraham was given credit for having believed in the promise that he would sire children. "He believed G'd, and He considered it an act of righteousness on Abraham's part." (Genesis 15,6) This faith could not have been supplied by G'd, but had to be an act of willpower on the part of Abraham himself. He was the first philosopher who found his way to this yir-ah/emunah, as is recorded of him after the akeydah, the binding of Isaac. (Genesis 22,12) "For now I know that you are G'd fearing." After all, this is the goal of all our striving, as Solomon proclaims at the end of his book Kohelet: "In conlusison, after all is said and done, fear the Lord, observe His commandments because this is the sum total of being a human being " There is a third variety of fear that is composed of an intelligent awareness of the fact that if one does not take adequate precautions against known dangers, disastrous consequences may result. This fear, while recognising the dangers of inaction or lack of preparedness, is nevertheless not due to a fatalistic outlook. It is therefore fear, not resignation. The intelligence involved stems from the recognition of a free G'd as the ultimate cause of events, events which He can control, but that man can influence directly. If a king threatens a subject with jail unless said subject carries out certain orders, such conduct is autocratic and deprives the subject of any meaningful choice. If, on the other hand, the king points out that strike action by the subject would result in his losing income, his family going hungry etc., this would not really be called putting the subject under duress. A person doing the right thing under such circumstances falls into the category of "who is clever? he who can foresee the consequences." (Tamid 32) The fear experienced by such individuals is based on an intelligent appraisal of the options open to them in the long run. When Moses realised that his killing of the Egyptian had been witnessed, (Exodus 2,14) he became afraid, not resigned, and took action to escape the consequences. When our sages in Avot 3,21, say "where there is no wisdom, there is no fear, and where there is no fear, there cannot be any wisdom," this is what they had in mind. He who is intellectually unaware of what the future may hold, cannot relate to it with fear. On the other hand, he who is insensitive to what the future may hold, is obviously devoid of wisdom. Fear of the type described, is fear of becoming the architect of one's own misfortune, seeing that the Torah tells us that we will be punished for our sins. Since no one is completely free from sin, no one should be completely free from this fear. Just as an invalid whose doctor prescribes abstention from certain foods to avoid harming his condition, will not consider himself under compulsion, so a Jew whose Torah forbids matters which would endanger his physical and spiritual survival cannot consider himself as observing Torah under duress. In this way we understand Moses' address to the people at the time of matan Torah, the giving of the Torah, (Exodus chapter twenty) when he said "do not be afraid; in order to test you did the Lord come; and in order that the fear of Him shall be upon you so that you will not sin." (verse 17). Although, at first glance these lines seem self contradictory, the fact is that they are exhortations not to relate to G'd with the wrong kind of fear. The result of the revelation was that Israel realised that it was possible to witness the glory of G'd and yet to remain physically alive. We were elevated from the purely instinctive, animalistic dread. Our concepts were raised to a level that afforded us an inkling of His grandeur, not like the beasts around us. This kind of fear fills one with a degree of joy, as David expresses it in Psalm 2,11, "serve the Lord in fear, rejoice even while trembling." With this thought one can also resolve the contradiction in Psalm 76,9 "from the Heavens you have heard judgment, the earth was afraid and calm." How can calmness be a product of fear or vice versa? As long as the earth had not heard that Israel had accepted the Torah, she had been concerned about her own future. Once she heard that Israel had spoken the words "We shall do and we shall listen," the earth became calm, knowing her own future was assured. In other words, joy is the product of the right kind of fear at the right place at the right time. Going back to our opening Midrash, we can appreciate now how the attainment for the kind of fear we have described was truly a minor accomplishment for Moses. The Torah has taught us this concept meanwhile in so many ways, that we can no longer claim that the attainment of such "fear" as Moses achieved without the help of the Torah, is really such an unattainable goal for the Jewish masses who enjoy the benefit of Torah and its teachings.