Actual Ashes
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Actual Ashes
We are told אפרו של יצחק נראה לפני צבור ומונח על המזבח, the ashes of Yitzchak appear before Me, gathered up, and
placed on the Mizbeach.[1] If Yitzchak wasn’t Shechted, then what are these
ashes of Yitzchak?[2]
The Sefer הרי בשמים[3] brings the Sefer Akeidas Yitzchak[4]
that since Avraham thought to slaughter and burn Yitzchak with a full heart and
such desire, it is as if that was done.[5]
The Sefer אהלי יעקב[6] gives us another answer. Here are his incredible words: What are the ashes of Yitzchak if he wasn’t Shechted and burned? He brings from the Kadmonim who ask on that which we daven זכור לנו עקידת יצחק, remember Akeidas Yitzchak, that there were millions of Akeidas that occurred throughout exile, Jews that were burned על קידוש ה', sanctifying Hashem’s name? At Akeidas Yitzchak, Yitzchak wasn’t killed whereas throughout exile we have had many cases of Jews being killed. So why is Akeidas Yitzchak what we mention in our Tefilos? When we mention Akeidas Yitzchak in davening it refers to all Akeidas that happened throughout our history, on all the Jews that gave up their lives sanctifying Hashem’s name.[7] It is classified under Akeidas Yitzchak because it is from him that these people had the power and the will to give up their lives for the honor of Hashem.[8] This explains why it says אפרו של יצחק—the ashes of the Jews killed and burned for the sanctification of Hashem’s name!
[1]
Vayikra 26:42, Rashi. See Rashi to Breishis 22:14, Brachos 62b, Zevachim 62a
and Taanis 16a, Tosafos, s.v. אפר.
[2] A simple way to understand this is that it refers to the
ashes of the ram which was offered as a substitute for Yitzchak (See Breishis
22:13)—Maharsha
to Brachos 62b, s.v. אפרו. See the Redal to
Pirkei Drebi Eliezer 31:59.
[3] Vayera s.v. או יאמר ע"פ מ"ש.
[4] See
also Maharsha to Brachos 62b, s.v. אפרו.
This was authored by R’ Yitzchak Ben Moshe Arama who lived from 1420-1494. The
Sefer Akeidas Yitzchak is a lengthy
philosophical commentary on Chumash, homiletic in style. It is because of this
work that he is frequently called the "Ba'al Akeida" (author of
the Akeida). One of the other Sefarim he authored was Yad
Avshalom (The Hand of Avshalom), a commentary on Mishlei, written in
memory of his son-in-law, Avshalom, who died shortly after his marriage.
The Ba'al Akeida headed a yeshiva in
Zamora, and then served as rabbi for the communities of Tarragona and
Fraga in Aragon. In order to counteract the
effects of conversionist sermons to which the Jews of Aragon were compelled to
listen, he delivered sermons (Drashos) on the principles of Judaism. These
sermons became the basis of his later works and contain interesting data on the
history of the Jews in Spain prior to their expulsion. He later became
rabbi of Calatayud, where he was able to found a yeshiva, revise his Drashos
for publication, and author other works. He also engaged in several public disputations with Christian scholars.
[5] After Avraham bound Yitzchak, a Malach said to Avraham
don’t stretch out your hand against the boy nor do anything to him…, since you
have not withheld your son, your only one, ממני, from me (Breishis 22:11-12). Who is
the Malach to say ממני as it should say “from Hashem”? We know that a Malach is
created from each Mitzva one performs. Depending on how the Mitzva is done is
the level of the power of the Malach. For example, if one gives Tzedaka to
receive honor, the Malach created from that may be somewhat deformed. The
Malach created from the Mitzva of the Akeida was the Malach that was talking to
Avraham now. Avraham’s intention was so great that he created a Malach as big
and sturdy as a Malach can be. Consequently, he said ממני, as he was
complete without any deformity. So the Malach was saying you created me as
strong as I can be so you didn’t withhold anything from me, you don’t need to
do anything more.
[6] Volume 1, כ"ט כסלו תשי"ד, p. 93. This was authored by Rabbi
Yaakov Friedman of Husiatyn, who lived from 1878-1957. His father was the Bohusher Rebbe, who was the oldest grandson of R’ Yisrael of
Ruzhin (1797-1851). After marrying his second cousin, also a
scion of the Ruzhin dynasty, R’ Yaakov moved to the home of his father-in-law,
R’ Yisrael (1858-1949), in the eastern Galician town of Husiatyn. In 1937, he
moved to Eretz Yisrael.
[7] After the Malach told Avraham not to do anything to
Yitzchak, it says Avraham saw a ram afterwards—איל אחר—caught in the thicket by its horns… (Breishis 22:13).
A deeper explanation given is that איל אחר means that there will be others (אחר) like this איל in future
generations—there will be Jews who will give up their lives in difficult times.
[8] See the Meshech Chochma Vayera 22:14. This can be compared to
drawing water from a well as this can only be done if the well is already dug.
The same applies here as Yitzchak dug this well with the Akeida. We can now
draw from that and be Moser Nefesh ourselves.
