I'm a little slow today. I just switched to Sanka. So...have a heart?

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Vayomer Avraham, Avraham, vayomer hineni...

My favorite part of Rosh Hashannah is the Torah Portion, because I used to like to hear my ex-Rabbi read the parts where God and the Angel called out to Abraham, and I used to like the way he would call out, "Avraham! Avraham!"

And so, because I have nothing else to paste in, I'll paste in the Hebrew transliteration.

Vayehi achar hadevarim ha'eleh veha'Elokim nisa et-Avraham vayomer elav Avraham vayomer hineni.

After these events, G-D tested Avraham and said to him, "Avraham! And he said, "Here I am."

Vayomer kach-na et-bincha et-yechidecha asher-ahavta et-Yitzchak velech-lecha el-eretz haMoriyah veha'alehu sham le'olah al achad heharim asher omar eleicha.

G-D said, "Please take your son, your beloved only one, - Yitzchak - and go to Mount Moriah. Sacrifice him as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains which I will designate to you."

Vayashkem Avraham baboker vayachavosh et-chamoro vayikach et-shnei ne'arav ito ve'et Yitzchak beno vayevaka atzei olah vayakom vayelech el-hamakom asher-amar-lo ha'Elokim.

Avraham awoke early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took his two attendants with him, and also his son, Yitzchak. He split the wood of the burnt-offering, rose, and went to the place that G-d had designated to him.

Bayom hashlishi vayisa Avraham et-eynav vayar et-hamakom merachok.

On the third day, Avraham raised his eyes and saw the place from afar.

Vayomer Avraham el-ne'arav shvu-lachem poh im-hachamor va'ani vehana'ar nelchah ad-koh venishtachaveh venashuvah aleichem.

Avraham said to his attendants, "Remain here with the donkey and I and the lad will go to that place. We will prostrate ourselves and return to you."

Vayikach Avraham et-atzey ha'olah vayashem al-Yitzchak beno vayikach beyado et-ha'esh ve'et-hama'achelet vayelchu shneyhem yachdav.

Avraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and placed it on his son Yitzchak. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and they both went together.

Vayomer Yitzchak el-Avraham aviv vayomer avi vayomer hineni veni vayomer hineh ha'esh veha'etzim ve'ayeh haseh le'olah.

Yitzchak spoke to Avraham, 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 ram for the burnt-offering?"

Vayomer Avraham Elokim yir'eh-lo haseh le'olah beni vayelchu shneihem yachdav.

Avraham said, "G-D will show the ram for a burnt-offering, my son." And the two of them went together.

Vayavo'u el-hamakom asher amar-lo ha'Elokim vayiven sham Avraham et-hamizbeach vaya'aroch et-ha'etzim vaya'akod et-Yitzchak beno vayasem oto al-hamizbeach mima'al la'etzim.

They came to the place that G-d had designated to him. Avraham built the altar there, and arranged the wood.

Ayishlach Avraham et-yado vayikach et-hama'achelet lishchot et-beno.

Avraham extended his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

Vayikra elav mal'ach HASHEM min-hashamayim vayomer Avraham! Avraham! vayomer hineni.

An angel of G-D called to him from heaven and said, "Avraham, Avraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

Vayomer al-tishlach yadcha el-hana'ar ve'al-ta'as lo me'umah ki atah yadati ki-yere Elokim atah velo chasachta et-bincha et-yechidecha mimeni.

G-D said, "Do not touch the lad, nor do anything to him; for now I know that you are one who fears G-D and have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me."

Vayisa Avraham et-eynav vayar vehineh-ayil achar ne'echaz basvach bekarnav vayelech Avraham vayikach et-ha'ayil vaya'alehu le'olah tachat beno.

Avraham looked up and beheld a ram after it had been caught in the thicket by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt-offering instead of his son.

Vayikra Avraham shem-hamakom hahu HASHEM Yir'eh asher ye'amer hayom behar HASHEM yera'eh.

Avraham called the name of that place, "G-D will see"; as it is said this day, "On G-D'S mountain, He will be seen."

Vayikra mal'ach HASHEM el-Avraham shenit min-hashamayim.

An angel of G-Dcalled to Avraham, as a second time, from heaven.

Vayomer bi nishbati ne'um-HASHEM ki ya'an asher asita et-hadavar hazeh velo chasachta et-bincha et-yechidecha.

And said, "'I have sworn by Myself,' declares G-D, 'that because you performed this deed, and did not withhold your only son,

Ki-varech avarechecha veharbah arbeh et-zar'acha kechochevey hashamayim vehachol asher al-sfat hayam veyirash zar'acha et sha'ar oyvav.

I will greatly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will inherit the gate of their enemies.

Vehitbarchu bezar'acha kol goyey ha'aretz ekev asher shamata bekoli.

Through your children, will be blessed all the nations of the world, because you heeded My voice."

Vayashov Avraham el-ne'arav vayakumu vayelchu yachdav el-Be'er-sheva vayeshev Avraham biVe'er-sheva.

Avraham returned to his attendants, and they rose and went together to Beer-sheva. Avraham dwelt in Beer-sheva.

5 Comments:

Blogger Rootietoot said...

And such is the fierce mercy that is God. "DO THIS! NO! DON'T DO THIS!"

Tho I've always been a bit perturbed that he led Abraham through all that. Not knowing the whole mind of God, it seems cruel and arbitrary to me. I'd tie myself to the altar instead. But then that may be why Abraham went and not Sarah.

5:15 AM

 
Blogger SuperBee said...

He had to have Abraham go and do it, to test Abraham's (and the Jews') devotion to God, and he would only choose them to be blessed, if he knew that we were unconditionally devoted to Him.

At least, that's the traditional wisdom. This new Rabbi we have is an academic and brought up all these fascinating points, like why, whenever God, or an Angel, or Isaac asked him "Abraham?" he responded with "Hineni," or "Here I am!"

Or why at the end, it says that Abraham (not Abraham and Isaac) went back to the Servents and they went back to Beer-Sheba. Or why Isaac went so willingly to be slaughtered (then the Rabbi went into how Isaac is the passive Forefather, even allowing Jacob to dupe him into giving him the Birthright, when Isaac knew Jacob's voice...)

It's sort of fascinating, that five thousand years ago, some guy heard a voice in his head and went to go off and kill his kid.

Nowadays we'd call that...Schitzophrenia.

5:57 AM

 
Blogger Andy said...

Even God got bored when he read this. Nice work Jay. You're starting to suck on par with the brewer and his man-date diary entries.

8:51 AM

 
Blogger Rootietoot said...

wicomnbYeah I've wondered about Isaac's passive attitude. I mean, he was a big hulking teenager and Abraham was a doddering 153 (or something). Can you see any teen obedient to his father to that degree?

I think...heretical thoughts. Like, the story has been doctored to make a point.
I disagree with his politics.

9:30 AM

 
Blogger Mike said...

I've heard that the sound of the shofar is supposed to be reminscent of the cry Sarah made when she found out what Abraham did (or tried to do).

3:05 PM

 

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