Was Yitzchak Slaughtered at the Akaida?

1) Before Avraham was about to slaughter Yitzchak, he was told do not stretch your hand out against the boy—אל תשלח ידך אל הנער.[1] The Midrash says that from here we see a hint from the Torah to תחית המתים, the resurrection of the dead. Continues the Midrash, even Yitzchak said ברוך...מחיה המתים.[2] How do we see from this Pasuk a hint to תחית המתים?

2) The Pasuk states לספד לשרה ולבכתה, Avraham eulogized Sarah.[3] The Megale Amukos wonders why didn’t Yitzchak—an only child to Sarah—also eulogize her?[4]

3) Upon seeing Yitzchak, Rivka wonders מי האיש הלזה ההלך בשדה לקראתנו[5], who is that man walking in the field toward us. How are we to grasp the holy Rivka inquiring about one of the opposite gender?

4) Rashi tells us on ויגדלו הנערים,[6] the boys grew up, that Yaakov and Esav were 13 years old at the time. However, when we do the calculation, we see that they were actually 15! This is because Avraham was 100 when Yitzchak was born and Yitzchak was 6o when his children—Yaakov and Esav—were born.[7] 100 and 60 is 160. 13 years later would make Avraham 173. Yet we know that he was 175 when he died?[8]

5) The Yerushalmi says that the lives of the Avos come to a total of 500 years.[9] However, adding up the years of the Avos—Avraham was 175, Yitzchak 180 and Yaakov 147—we arrive at a total of 502, not 500?

 

Although we commonly think that Yitzchak wasn’t slaughtered at the Akaida, the Midrash informs us of an opinion that he actually was slaughtered. This fits with the terminology we find in Chazal אפרו של יצחק נראה לפני..., the ashes of Yitzchak are before me on the מזבח,[10] since he was actually slaughtered. It is also implicit in the phrasing of Rashi[11] who says through hearing the news of the Akaida that her son was ready for slaughter וכמעט שלא נשחט..., she passed away. Rashi should say כמעט נשחט if he was nearly slaughtered. כמעט שלא נשחט implies that he was slaughtered at the Akaida. This idea is alluded in the Gematria of יצחק, which is identical to הרג, 208.

 

R’ Yeshaya Hertz from Dinov in his Seferהנותן אמרי שפר explains really Yitzchak was slaughtered by the Akaida and was later brought back to life by Hashem. If so, how do we explain אל תשלח ידך אל הנער..., don’t slaughter Yitzchak. This was said after Hashem resurrected him, as Hashem was saying to Avraham don’t send forth your hand for a second time. Consequently, from here we see a hint to תחית המתים from the Torah! Yitzchak was the first one to have such a miracle like this happen to him. Indeed, we find a hint to the resurrection in his name as יצחק rearranged spells קץ חי—after he dies, he is then brought back to life. Furthermore, the second Bracha of Shemona Esrei—the Bracha of תחית המתים—corresponds to Yitzchak. 

 

From the wound he sustained at the Akaida, he needed to be healed. He was thus taken to Gan Eden for two years to be healed, says the Midrash. This is why after the Akaida it says וישב אברהם...,[12] Avraham returned…, since Yitzchak wasn’t with him as he was in Gan Eden.

 

With this, we can explain how Yitzchak recognized the smell of Gan Eden on Yaakov when he gave him the Brachos—וירח את ריח בגדיו, he smelled the fragrance of his garments.[13]    

 

When it says Yitzchak was 60 when Yaakov and Eav were born, it doesn’t include the two years he was in Gan Eden. He therefore was really 62. Consequently, Avraham was 162 when they were born. 13 years later make Avraham 175.

 

With this information, we can comprehend why the Yerushalmi says only 500 years and not 502, regarding the years of the lives of the Avos, as it doesn’t include the two years that Yitzchak was in Gan Eden.

 

It was at this time while he was in Gan Eden that Yitzchak’s mother died. He therefore didn’t eulogize his mother. This also explains why upon seeing Yitzchak, Rivka commented מי האיש הלזה ההלך בשדה לקראתנו as he was just in Gan Eden.[14]

Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander Ztz”l for close to five years. He received Semicha from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. Rabbi Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and publications. He lives with his wife and family in a suburb of Yerushalayim where he studies, writes and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.