Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection

00:00 - Intro (Announcement)
You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe from TORCH, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. This is the Prayer.

00:07 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Podcast. All right, welcome back, my dear friends, to the Prayer Podcast. We are today entering a new area of our prayer podcast series. We're going to start with the offerings and the sacrifices known as the Korbanot. But before, as an introduction to all of that, we read the portion of the Akedah. Now, it is not universal that everyone reads the Akedah. We're going to go with the opinion that it is read and we're going to learn about it because it's in our prayer book and in the Art Scroll. And we're going to learn about it because it's in our prayer book and in the Art Scroll. It's on page 22 and 23.

00:47
And there are three parts to this prayer. The first is the introduction to it. The second is the actual 19 verses in the Torah that talks about the Akedah, the binding of Isaac, and then the prayer as a result of this prayer. This is what we're asking for, almighty God, okay, and putting it into context. So this is going to putting our request out there in front of the Almighty. So first we're going to read it and try to explain it. The main part of it, the main part of it is those of you who have the link in the description of this podcast and this video. Hopefully you are able to click on the link and go with us, so I'm going to read it out. I'm going to try to translate as I go so that it's clear exactly the words that we're saying. Our God and God of our fathers, remember us favorably before you and be mindful of us for deliverance and compassion from the eternal high heavens. Remember in our behalf, hashem, our God, the love of our ancestors, abraham, isaac and Yisrael, your servants, the covenant, the kindness and the oath which you swore to our father Abraham on Mount Moriah and the binding of Isaac, his son, on the altar, as it is written in your Torah.

02:51
So these coming 19 verses are the verses from Genesis 22, verse 1 through verse 19. It is a remarkable display of exactly what transpired when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son as an offering, as an ola, as a burnt offering. It's the most astonishing thing. Like you know, our sages tell us that Abraham was 137 years old at this time. This was the 10th of Abraham's trials, his tests, and, as the verse actually states it says that I am testing Abraham, and we'll see this in the first verse here. I mean, didn't he demonstrate his loyalty to Hashem? He passed all the other tests. He passed all the other tests. What is going on here? That now Abraham is being tested in such a significant way, in such a difficult way?

04:04
Our sages tell us it's like imagine this you know, in order to become a lawyer, there are many, many tests that you need to take to become a lawyer, but then there's that final test that locks it in. Now I'm a lawyer, I get my jurisprudence doctorate, doctor of jurisprudence and anyone who becomes a doctor. They have many tests along the way, but then there's that final test, and that final test that's what locks it in. That's when you get your PhD or your MD, or, for me as a rabbi, a DD, a doctor of divinity. There's that test, the smicha you become. That's when you become ordained. What? There are 100 tests till then. They don't count. They do, but that's not the most difficult one. The most difficult one is that final test, and this was Abraham's final test. So let's read these verses with that in mind and understanding that this is going to be the most difficult of all the challenges.

05:03
Abraham proved that he was trustworthy, he proved his loyalty to the Almighty, he proved that he was the founder of monotheism and he spread the word. He shared it with the nations of the world. He shared it with everyone. His father, for everything that we know. In the Midrash, his father was the tradesman of idolatry. He would sell those little idols and the big idols, all of them. He grew up in a culture that was steeped with idolatry and yet Abraham came out strong, a believer in Hashem. But the test of that belief goes so much further. When it's beyond your understanding, when it's beyond your rationale, when it's beyond something that you're, this is outrageous. That's where the test comes in, and let's see what happens here.

06:19
After these events, god tested Abraham. He said to him Abraham, and he replied Abraham replied Hineni, I am here, I am prepared. Vayomer kach no es bincho es yichidcho asher ahavto es yitzchok velech lcho el eretz ha-moriah ve'alehu sham le'olo al achat he-horem asher omar eylecho. He said, please take your son, your special one whom you love, isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, raise him up there as an Ola, as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will designate to you. I mean, this sounds outrageous. This sounds like what in the world is going on here.

07:24
Abraham arose early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took his two young men with him and Isaac, his son. He split the woods of the Ola burnt offering and set out, heading for the place that God had designated for him, him. On the third day, abraham looked up and saw the place from afar. Abraham said to his servants, to his attendants you stay here with the donkey and I and the boy will go to that place, we will prostrate ourselves in worship and return to you by Yikach Avram, which is interesting, that Abraham here is saying we're going to prostrate and return to you, meaning he sort of had some idea that this wasn't going to end up coming to fruition one way or another. But yet we see his eagerness and we'll talk about this more.

08:35
Vayikach avrom es atzei ha'olo vayosem al yitzchak bino. Vayikach biyodo es ho'esh ve'es ha'ma acheles vayel ch. And Abraham took the wood and the burnt offering and placed it on his son, isaac, in his hand. He took the fire and the knife and they both went together, vayomer Yitzchak al Avram Oviv, vayomer Ovi, his father, and said Father. And he said here I am, my son. He said here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham said God himself will show the lamb for a burnt offering. My son and the two of them went together. They came to the place that God had designated to him and Abraham built the altar there, to the place that God had designated to him. And Abraham built the altar there and he arranged the wood and bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar. On top of the wood, abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son, vayikra.

10:24
I love Malach Hashem. In Hashemayim, vayomer Avram, avram, vayomer Hineni, an angel of Hashem called to him from heaven and said Avraham Avram Abraham, abraham. And he said here I am, vayomer al tishlach, yodcho al anar Ve'altas lo me'uma he. Hashem said Do not harm the boy, nor do anything to him, for now I know that you are who fears God and have not withheld your son, your only one from me. Abraham raised his eyes and beheld a ram, after it had been caught in the thicket by its thorns, and Abraham went and took the ram and brought it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

11:37
Abraham called the name of the place Hashem, yireh, hashem, yireh, hashem, yireh, hashem, yireh. Abraham called the name of the place. Hashem will see, as it is said to this day, on Hashem's mountain he will be seen. Just as a side note, the name has later become Yerushalayim. They will see Hashem, the perfection. They will see shalom peace, yerushalayim. They will see the glory of Hashem. That's Yerushalayim, the Jerusalem that we know of. That's what you see and that's where it was originally.

12:22
From that name, vayikrom alach Hashem alav ram sheinis min ha-shamayim, and an angel of Hashem called to Abraham a second time from heaven Vayomer bi nishpati ni'um Hashem ki yana sherasiso esadover hazevalo chasachto es and said I have sworn by myself, declared Hashem that because you performed this deed and did not behold your only son, I will greatly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore, and your descendants will inherit the gate of their enemies. Two more verses of their enemies. Two more verses. All the nations of the world will be blessed through your children, because you heeded my voice. Abraham returned to his attendants and they rose and went together to Be'er Sheva and Abraham dwelt in Be'er Sheva, and this is the 19 verses of the binding of Isaac, and this is repeated every single day. So let's just talk a little bit about this, the binding of Isaac. Our sages tell us it's a reminder, a daily reminder to bind our prayers together. You know, I tell my children this the Talmud says that the gates of tears are never closed. The gates of tears are never closed. The gates of tears are never closed. I tell them. When they bang their head, they hurt themselves, they fall. They're crying because one of their siblings teased them. You're crying already. Throw in a prayer. The gates of tears are never closed. It doesn't qualify what kind of tears. The gates of tears are never closed. Find your prayers together. You have a moment of inspiration. Pray. You have a moment of blessing, a moment of inspiration. Pray. You have a moment of blessing, a moment of clarity. Pray, find your prayers together.

15:08
Isaac was brought as an Ola offering meant to be burnt and elevated, meaning taken from something which is physical and made into something which is spiritual, from matter into energy. We go to sleep. We're just a lump of logs, right, we're just a sack of potatoes. Suddenly we wake up, we start our day, we start praying. What are we trying to do? We're trying to take our physical matter and make it into something which is energy, something which is spiritual, something which is elevated. The Akedah reminds us of this. Don't just stay physical, materialistic. Take your materialism and elevate yourself. Take yourself to a whole new level.

15:56
Now our sages tell us that this is reminding us of our daily tests. Just like Abraham, abraham had a massive test, who knows what today will bring? King David tells us who knows what will be born by today? We have no idea. The test that we'll interact with today no idea. We have to be ready for it.

16:33
A person has to have situational awareness they talk about in safety classes, situational awareness. We have to have something added to that which is called spiritual awareness. We have to be ready. Hashem is going to test us again. We're going to face a test today. The test may be one that we're experienced with, and the test may be one that we're experienced with, and the test may be something that we're it's way out of, something that we are comfortable with. It's definitely something we can accomplish, because God doesn't give us a test we can't overcome. But we have to be ready for a test. Every day there will be a test, and what we're doing is we're putting our gloves on.

17:20
When we recite this Parsha, this portion of the Akedah, just after our morning blessings, we're about to get right into the rest of our prayers. We're saying, okay, we got our battle gloves on, we got our armor, we're ready to go, whatever is going to come, whatever challenges we face. Whatever challenges we face, we're ready to face them head on. We're in go mode. That's the Akedah. That's what the Akedah teaches us.

17:57
The obvious question is why only the Akedah? That's what the Akedah teaches us. The obvious question is why only the Akedah is mentioned as a test. We see right over here the first verse. We said and Hashem tested Avraham. It was a test. Is it a joke why this test is mentioned as a test, not the others? The other nine tests were not categor mentioned as a test, not the others. The other nine tests were not categorized as a test, our sages tell us, because this was the most important test. This is the final exam.

18:28
Again, he's 137 years old. And what was he tested for? Yiras, shemaim, fear of heaven, unquestioning obedience to Hashem. Now consider the perspective of Abraham's life. He fought for Hashem, he fought against wickedness, he fought against evil, he fought against complacency, he fought against idolatry. Abraham doesn't know Yet. The Akedah doesn't make sense to Abraham and that was his test. When it doesn't make sense, are you going to pull the plug and pull the parachute and that's it, I'm out? Or are you going to fight and go against what makes sense to you? And not only that, he did that if we recognize the verse that we read the third verse he arose early. Verse that we read the third verse by Yashkem Avraham Baboker he arose early.

19:43
You know who wakes up early, someone who's excited. Teenagers don't wake up early. Do you know why they don't wake up early? Because teenagers have been told you're not going to accomplish, you can't do it, you'll never accomplish. So they start believing it when they're teenagers or they start doubting themselves. Until it comes back and they become a little bit more mature, their friends tell them no, you're a loser, no, you're not going to do it, you're not so special. Okay, maybe I'm not.

20:19
I'll sleep till 10 o'clock in the morning because I have nothing to get up for. Look at little children. They wake up. But my daughter God should bless her she wakes up at the crack of dawn. Let me sleep, please, the crack of dawn. Why? Because all she sees is opportunity. Give me another day. I'm going to accomplish. And she's nonstop running, nonstop. Running until she just falls asleep because she has no more energy. Her battery pack is out. Because, a child, all they see is opportunity. And then teenagers, they become a little jaded. But then comes the age of love, and then they wake up early for love, and then they wake up for a career. I'm going to make money. I have a dream, I'm going to accomplish so much. I'm going to build so much.

21:16
Abraham is about to slaughter his son and he wakes up early. Why is he excited? What's the excitement? I'm going to do something that makes no sense to me whatsoever. I have no idea what's going on in God's mind, but God commanded me to do it. I'm so excited I'm going to do it, even though it makes no sense in the world to me. That's called unquestionable obedience, unquestioning. I'm not going to even ask God. My son You're referring to my son Like Isaac Es bincha, es yachitcha asher ahavta, your son, your only son, your special son, the one that you love, yeah, that one, he's your offering. There shouldn't be any doubts here. It's an unbelievable request. And Abraham doesn't say I'll get to it later, later, I'll do it later.

22:33
He gets up a little late, has his coffee thinking about it. Should I, should I not? Maybe I should just start the day, maybe not, sarah? What do you think, sarah? Should I do this, should I not do this? Is God on his meds? I mean, like, what's going on here? He's telling me to sacrifice my son.

22:51
This is the same son, contradictory to what he said previously. This is the same son that God said oh, from him. This is where your progeny will come from. All of your descendants, everything will come from Isaac, one second God. Is it a little contradiction?

23:13
No questions asked, obedience To who, my creator, that's a level that we should all aspire to be at, a level where we have no questions. God says I do, but but da da ba, no questions asked. Abraham didn't ask a single question. You don't see a single question here. Not only that three times, if you noticed, three times in these 19 verses, he's called and his response is he named me, meaning I have no doubts. I'm not backing out of this, I'm not stepping down. God said I'm all in In each of those opportunities. One was God calling him, one was the angel calling him and one was Isaac calling him. And each time he says Hineni, I'm all in.

24:11
What an incredible commitment and dedication. Imagine to feel this way every morning. God, I'm all in. You got me at good morning right, modani, I'm all in. What an unbelievable way to live life to know and rely and trust. This is what Hashem wants. This is what I do. This is a level of commitment that we only dream for and we pray for, as we'll see in the final blessing in a few minutes.

24:47
The passages are said to remind us, but also to remind God, of his promise to Abraham. You know what's the promise we see here at the end Ki borech avorech echa, I will greatly bless you. It's two times, it's a double term. Bless, I will bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and like the sand of the seashore. Which one is it? Is it like the stars or like the sand? Which one? Well, it depends. If we elevate ourselves, the nations of the world will look up to us like the stars, and if we don't, they'll trample on us like the sand by the seashore.

25:35
It's our choice. We're going to be numerous and we're going to count, but which one are we more inspired by? By the sand that gets stuck everywhere, and we try to get the sand when we go to the beach or try to get it out of our car, you know, wash your feet off because we don't want the sand with us. Or do we want the stars that everybody's looking up to? You see that star, look up to. You see that star, look at that star. Look at that star. We're looking with such awe, with such excitement, with such, you know, incredible anticipation to see a star, something which is so spectacular, and we look up to it and we're untouchable. And we're untouchable. That's our choice. God says you're going to be uncountable, immeasurable, because of your impact. Yeah, we have a number of how many Jews are alive today, but that doesn't mean anything. Look at the impact. The impact that there's not a device in the world that doesn't have a Jewish brain in it. You could be like the stars or you could be like the sand. That's your choice, but you're going to be uncountable. No one will be able to count the impact.

27:03
And the passage in Leviticus 26, 42 does not say remember about Yitzchak. The verse states remember Abraham, I remember. It says I remember Abraham and also Isaac, and I remember Jacob. Where's the, where's the right? Why doesn't it say it? Regarding Isaac, our sages tell us God accepted the sacrifice of Isaac as if he was sacrificed and that the ashes were placed before Hashem as if it was a sacrifice of Isaac. And those ashes were placed before Hashem as if it was a sacrifice of Isaac and those ashes are always before Hashem. So we say these verses as a reminder, because it's a protection for us. When we say these verses, we're saying Hashem, isaac, those ashes that are in front of you. It was like an offering, it says.

28:23
The commentaries explain that not only Abraham grabbed the knife to slaughter Isaac by the request of Hashem. The angel had to hold her. But you know who was pulling the other way? The angel says stop and Abraham continues to go. So the angel grabs Abraham's hand, pulls it away. Isaac was pulling to be slaughtered. That's how his commitment was. His commitment was on such a level.

28:52
He says Hashem said I grew up with a father Abraham, and my father Abraham says when God speaks, you listen. And God says I should be as an offering. I'm going to be an offering. God says that's your will, as if you were an offering. We've said this many times that when someone wants to do a good deed, even if they weren't successful in doing that deed, god counts it as if you did it. This is one of the sources for it that Isaac wanted to be brought as an offering and even though he wasn't successful in being an actual offering, god says it's as if you did it. I want to share with you an idea here. I don't understand it completely, but we're going to try to learn this together.

29:43
The main blessings of peace and bounty are found in the Holy Land. Peace is the compound of two opposites, in our case, chesed kindness and gvura. Gvura, which means strength. Chesed kindness and strength. They are opposites. They're opposites, but when they combine they bring the greatest blessings. Abraham represents chesed. He represents kindness. His attribute was kindness and love, and we see this in everything that Abraham did. Yitzchak represents gevura. He represents strength. It took great strength to offer himself as a sacrifice before God. Isaac thus represents fear and awe. The binding of Isaac is actually a blend of kindness together with strength. With Gevurah, abraham and Isaac. Together they were that offering. This represents the joining together of opposites. The binding brings peace.

30:58
Okay, the binding brings peace. What is? Let me ask you a question. If two people have a dispute, okay, I say okay, bobby, you owe me $10. I lent you $10 last week. You owe me $10. You say what are you talking about? I paid you back, right? I'm like no, you didn't pay me back. I said no, so we go. We have this whole dispute, so we go in front of a court. So what's the court going to say? What's most likely going to be the result? Most likely, compromise.

31:31
But compromise is not true. It's either you owe me 10 or you don't. Five is not an option. That's not an option. But that's what we say in order to make peace. You understand that, even though everyone talks peace, peace does not mean truth. Peace means we're ready to forego truth to have peace. We're ready to compromise. This represents the joining together of opposites. The binding brings peace.

32:05
Additionally, reciting the binding of Isaac, the willingness to sacrifice for God leads to the revelation of the sanctity of the land of Israel and return of the laws to their land. This explains why the after-blessing, after the, reciting the Akedah, we say many verses about God having compassion on us and returning us to the land. Okay, because what happens is the land of Israel, is the land that will forever be disputed. What's so difficult? Forever be disputed, what's so difficult? You think that okay, let's say the Trump plan goes through, you get all 1.8 million Palestinians out of Gaza. You'd move them out to wherever? Antarctica.

32:51
Now what you think Israel's going to have peace? Not a chance. You're still going to have problems from Yemen. You'll have problems from Egypt. You'll have problems from Jordan. You'll have problems from Saudi Arabia. You'll have problems from Syria Enough, no, not enough. You'll have problems from Turkey. You'll have problems from Lebanon. You'll have problems from Iran and Iraq and you'll have problems from Qatar and you'll have problems from Morocco. You name the nation we'll always have. Oh, that's not enough. You have the Hague and you have the European Union and you'll have the. It's endless, it's endless. We didn't even talk about Afghanistan. We didn't talk about Russia and Ukraine. We didn't talk about any of those.

33:36
What we're trying to get to, the level we're trying to get to, the level we're trying to get to, is to get to a place of absolute bitil. Bitil means I'm ready to let go of everything for Hashem. You know what does a child do? What does a child do? A child lets go and knows I'm in my mother's hand, I have nothing to worry about, that's it. There's a child sit there saying I don't know where my next meal is going to be, from. Who's going to feed me? Oh, my goodness, I have such stress and anxiety. No child says that, because every child knows I'm in my mom's hand, I have nothing to worry about, I know she's going to take care of me.

34:24
We should feel no different in the hands of Hashem, that we know that Hashem will take care of us. And this the Akedah repeats to us every single day. That's why we say later we'll talk about this next week but we are your people, we are your nation, the daily declaration of our loyalty. Now Abraham saw the place. What is that place? Our sages tell us that is the temple, mount Mount Moriah. That's where Jacob had a dream and he saw the ladder. The angels were going up and down. That's the same place that Abraham brought Isaac in the binding of Isaac. That is us Standing from a distance of our own perfection.

35:20
We still need Hashem's help. We have great gifts, but need more. Hashem gives us the gifts. Just like Abraham, he saw it from afar. We have to see our potential. I can accomplish it, but how can I get there? How can I do it? Only with reliance on Hashem. An amazing, an amazing thing.

35:44
So this is the final test the unquestioning obedience that Abraham displayed. Now consider again Abraham's perspective. He fought for Hashem. He did everything he can. The Akedah doesn't make sense to Abraham. This was his actual test. Everything else was a lead up to this. It was a quiz just to get you to this final test.

36:10
Our sages tell us that the Akedah is linked to the final redemption, the eventual restoration of the Jewish people. That's what we pray for every day. Now let's see the final part of this prayer, where we ask Hashem that the Akedah not just be 19 verses from the Torah, from Genesis, that we read every morning, but that we actually use it as a blessing for success. Rebonu Shalolo, master of the Universe, yihirot Salmo Fanecha. Hashem Olokeinu, olokei Avoseinu.

36:42
May it be your will, hashem, our God, god of our forefathers, shetizkor Lonu, bris Avoseinu, that you remember, you recall, for our sake, the covenant of our fathers Shetizkor Lonu Bris Avoseinu, kemo Shekovash, avrom Avin, our fathers. Just as Abraham, our forefather overcame his mercy on his child, his only child, and wanted to fulfill your will, hashem, and slaughter his child, his only child, and wanted to fulfill your will, hashem, and slaughter his first, his son, his only son to do your will. So too, your mercy should be overcome over your anger from upon us, over your anger from upon us, and your mercy should override all of your traits and you shall be lenient with us beyond the measure, beyond the letter of the law. Lefni mishur ha-sadin. Not by the letter of the law, but go beyond it. It's okay, you'll overlook. We made mistakes, we've transgressed, we've done things that we shouldn't have done. Come overlook it, just like Abraham overlooked with his mercy. V'tisnai gim us. Hashem, our God, with the act of kindness, with the trait of kindness and with the attribute of mercy, and with your greatness, you will remove your anger, and from your people, from your nation and from your city, jerusalem, and from your land of Israel and from the inheritance that you have given us. And please, hashem, give us what you have promised to us through Moshe, as you said you've promised to us through Moshe, as you've said you've promised to Moshe, where I remembered my treaty with Jacob and also my treaty with Isaac the off is brissy, abraham also my treaty of Abraham and my treaty with the land. To recall the land we're asking, hashem, please don't act with us with judgment. Don't exact judgment on us, be lenient with us, just like Abraham was. According to Abraham's laws of kindness, he wouldn't even gotten close to Isaac, he wouldn't have done any of it, yet he did. Why? Because that was your will, hashem, we're asking. We know that there's judgment on us. We know that we didn't act the way we should. Please, hashem, display your mercy. Let your rachamim overcome you, let your compassion overcome your traits, just like Abraham did.

40:12
There's one more point before we conclude today, and that is that Abraham didn't end up slaughtering Isaac. Instead, god showed him a ram that was his horns were stuck in the thick Right. What's going on over there? What's going on? What's that whole story? Our sages tell us that ram was stuck with his horn right. That's the horn of our chauffeur, and that chauffeur will be blown in the coming of messiah. And that ram is the ram that took the place of Isaac, and that's it's a whole.

41:03
There's so much to talk about here, about understanding the greatness of the act that Abraham and Isaac did here, what this ram represents, what the horn represents, this is we'll save this for Yom Kippur, and this, by the way, is we'll save this for Yom Kippur, and this, by the way, is part of our prayer on Yom Kippur. On Rosh Hashanah as well, we say malchios, zichronos and shofros. We have three different parts of our amida that are added. One is kingship, where we make Hashem king of, we declare Hashem as king of the universe, and then remembrance, remembrance, hashem. Remember this act, remember this act of selfless dedication that Isaac displayed, that Abraham displayed to do your will. Those ashes are before you at all time. You see it every day as an offering. Hashem, make it be your will that you have mercy and compassion on us in their merit. Hashem should bless us all. That we should merit that by reciting this parasha of Akedah today, that we merit that every day, whether we have the privilege to recite it or not, hashem should display his compassion upon us and his kindness upon us every single day. Amen. You ask a great question, my son.

42:29
Why was Abraham's name changed? And why was Jacob's name changed? But Isaac's name was not changed? That's correct. Why not? Because Isaac was, on a whole, nother level. Isaac elevated himself in the action of being willing to be a sacrifice. Abraham needed an elevation, which was the bris. He had to perfect himself through the bris right. Jacob had his way that he needed to. And when was that? After he fought with the angel, he got a new name of Yisrael. He needed to. And when was that? After he fought with the angel, he got a new name of Yisroel. He needed to do something to accomplish that greatness. Isaac was just being Isaac, being willing to sacrifice for Hashem, being willing to give your own life for Hashem the highest level, that was his perfection. Didn't need to add anything, just be Excellent question, all right. My dear friends, have a magnificent week. What a beautiful Tuesday. Open the doors, open the windows, let the beautiful fresh air in. My dear friends, have a great day.

43:38 - Intro (Announcement)
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