Two Minute Torah Podcast

Vayera 5768 by Rabbi Jerome Epstein

Because it is a major focus of the Rosh Hashanah liturgy, we sometimes think that the Akeda - the binding of Yitzchak, which is, highlighted in this week’s Torah portion is the ideal. Abraham heard God’s voice and he responded – without question – by preparing his son for sacrifice. Fortunately, eventually God substituted a ram and Yitzchak lived.

This narrative is often perceived to be the ideal. God speaks and we obey.

But, there is another model: less than five chapters earlier, we learned of Abraham’s readiness to argue on behalf of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. I am struck by the contrast between Abraham’s passion to argue on behalf of these complete strangers and his reluctance to argue in defense of his own child.

Abraham’s responses to both the news of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the binding of his beloved son are praised by the Rabbis in the Midrash. We dare not use Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son as the only ideal.

In today’s world, many claim that they hear God’s voice and they respond to it. Sometimes, that voice motivates them to improve the world. At other times, the voice that they or others hear calls for destruction; terrorism. What is our responsibility hen we hear words that we believe come from God? There are fundamentalists in every religion who respond without challenging.

As Conservative Jews, we are challenged to think and to question. Perhaps, God wants us to debate with Him. Questioning God is not the obstacle to a strong relationship.

Abraham Joshua Heschel used to say that the problem with Jewish life today is not that people are not getting answers from God. Rather, it is that they have stopped asking God questions. It is only when we take God seriously and maturely that we will have faith to both question God and respond to God’s will.