“…Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. ¹² Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” ¹³ And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

Genesis 18:10-15, NKJV

“When I studied this passage, I was struck by great difficulties. We know that there is not one extra letter in the Torah and that each letter has been invested with an awesome, inestimable sanctity by the Giver of the Torah. Therefore it seems astonishing that the Torah would relate this episode which is so uncomplimentary to the righteous Sarah, in such great detail. I told myself that this passage must allude to something of major significance. Then, HaShem enlightened me to and I perceived the message of the episode.”

Chofetz Chaim, Chizzuk Ha’Emunah quoted in Yisrael Meir Kagan, Chofetz Chaim: Lessons in Truth, translated by Shim’on Finkelman, Mesorah Publications, ltd, pgs. 204-207, cited in Torah Club, Shadows of the Messiah, Volume 1, pg. 89, First Fruits of Zion, pg. 89

“If one truly believes in the possibility of Mashiach’s imminent arrival, then he will constantly be in a state of spiritual preparation, through Torah, good deeds and repentance. If, however, such is not the case, then it is apparent that our talk of his imminent coming is mere lip service; in reality, our faith is quite miniscule. This is alluded to in the words told to Sarah, “No, you laughed indeed.”

Chofetz Chaim, Chizzuk Ha’Emunah quoted in Yisrael Meir Kagan, Chofetz Chaim: Lessons in Truth, translated by Shim’on Finkelman, Mesorah Publications, ltd, pgs. 204-207, cited in Torah Club, Shadows of the Messiah, Volume 1, pg. 89, First Fruits of Zion, pg. 90

“Sarai was barren. She had no child.”�Genesis 11:30

• Sarai – Mother of Isaac- Genesis 11:30
• Rivka – Mother of Jacob – Genesis 25:21
• Rachel – Mother of Joseph – Genesis 29:31
• Wife of Manoach (Tzlelponit) – Mother of Samson - Judges 13:2
• Hannah – Mother of Samuel – 1 Samuel 1:5
• Shunamite Woman – Mother of Jonah – 2 Kings 4:14

“At that hour the sick were restored to health, the blind recovered their sight, and the deaf their hearing; the brightness of the sun and of the moon was intensified . . . a spirit of justice began to prevail in the world . . . [yet] there were slanderers who maintained that Abraham and Sarah had picked up a foundling, or, according to another haggadah, had taken a son of Hagar and pretended that he was their son. To silence these slanderers Abraham prepared a great feast on the occasion of the weaning of Isaac, whereat, by a miracle, Sarah was enabled to nurse all the babies that had been brought by the women invited to the feast. As there was no longer any doubt as to Sarah's maternity, the slanderers questioned Abraham's paternity. Then G-d imprinted on the face of Isaac the features of Abraham, and the likeness between father and son became so great that one was often mistaken for the other.”

JewishEncyclopedia.com, Isaac

5 2 5 1

אחד

4 + 8 + 1

“Our forefather Isaac was in the line of the Mashiach ben Yosef from the time he was bound as a sacrifice.”�Kol HaTor 1.23

Translated by R’ Yechiel Bar Lev and K. Skaist

כָּזֶה שֶׁהוּא טוֹעֵן צְלוּבוֹ בִּכְתֵפוֹ

“Like a man who carries his cross

(tzluvo) on his shoulder.”�Genesis Rabbah 56:3

Soncino Press Edition

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac.”

Psalm 22:6

“There is little doubt in my mind that the offering of Yitzchak as a korban serves a prototype for Christian writers to understand the crucifixion and the eventual resurrection. And there’s even ... an ancient midrash that when it says that Yitzhak carried the wood, that the idea of carrying his cross…on the way there, tzalav...What are we doing borrowing Christian things? It’s the other way around...Most people who read the New Testament do not understand any of it.

“Because the New Testament is based on two primary sources: One is Scripture, the other is collective Jewish knowledge, which includes Midrash, whoever reads the New Testament and is not well versed in Midrash, does not understand the references, does not understand what the writer is saying. So therefore, most of the readers of the New Testament only know Scripture, so they catch the Scriptural references, but they completely miss all of the Midrashic references because they do not understand them…”

R’ Ari Kahn, The Akaida and Resurrection (06:33-08:14), Nov 6, 2011, YUTorah Online

“Abraham begot Isaac, to teach you that he was like his father in all things: in beauty, wisdom, riches, and good deeds. You must know that Isaac was thirty-seven years old when his father was about to sacrifice him, yet though it says: And Abraham was old and advanced in years, he bound him like a lamb and he did not restrain him.”

Exodus Rabbah 1:1

and he bound: his hands and his feet behind him. “The hands and the feet tied together is known as עִקֵידָה (Shab. 54a). And that is the meaning of עִקֻדִים, that their ankles were white; the place where they are bound was discernible…”

Rashi, Chabad.org

“Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Yeshua, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.”

Mark 15:1 cf. John 18:12,24, Matthew 27:2

“And When He Sees the Blood. He sees the blood of the sacrifice of Isaac, as it is said: “And Abraham called the name of that place HaShem-Yireh” (the Lord will see), etc. (Gen. 22:14). And it is also written: “And He was about to destroy, the L-rd beheld and he relented” (1 Chr 21:15). What did He behold? He beheld the blood of the sacrifice of Isaac, as it is said, “G-d will Himself see the lamb for a burnt-offering.” (Gen 22:8).”�Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Tractate Pischa, Chapter 11, Translated by Jacob Z. Lauterbach, Jewish Publication Society, pg 61.

“Why is it necessary for Yitzhak to die, in this place where the Beit HaMikdash will one day be? … that it seems to be that the place where the Beit HaMikdash will stand, there needs to be a consecration of this place, which for some reason necessitates the death of Yitzhak. Now, if the death of Yitzhak includes within it techiyat hameitim, that becomes an unbelievable message in terms of what is a korban, and what is the Beit HaMikdash, and what is the spiritual dynamic which is involved.”

R’ Ari Kahn, The Akaida and Resurrection (30:27-31:42), Nov 6, 2011, YUTorah Online

“…God creates man. Man goes astray. When man goes astray, on a certain level, man deserves death. Man then is killed. But what is the message of the Mishkhan? What is the message of the Beit HaMikdash, of the Mizbeach? There is a thing called kapparah. And man who is surrounded with sin, which equals death, in terms of Torah math, sin equals death, (man) has an ability nonetheless represents coming back to life. And that coming back to life is represented by the korban. But hold on a second, the korban died, but the person is able to achieve life. Why did the korban die, because the person should have died. But how does all of this work? This idea of being able to come back to life, it’s only because was somehow reversed afterwards, and Yitzhak comes back to life. Yitzhak’s death is reversed and he comes back to life. . ."

“. . . the whole idea of the Akaida becomes a completely different message, and the message is the Beit HaMikdash needs a consecration, Har HaMoriyah needs a consecration. God is saying, that based on Middat haDin, pure din, man deserves to die, when man sins. And God is nonetheless saying, “but despite this, the world does not operate on pure din, pure judgment.” There is also something called Chesed. And there is nothing that represents the Beit HaMikdash more than the word chesed. Therefore, Avraham who is person who represents Chesed is the one who brings Yitzhak who represents Din, offers him up as an offering only for then for the din to be flipped over…and get turned into chesed, that’s what the Beit Mikdash is, that’s what the korban is.”

R’ Ari Kahn, The Akaida and Resurrection (31:42), Nov 6, 2011, YUTorah Online

“And now I pray for mercies before You, O Lord God, that when the children of Yitzhak offer in the hour of need, the binding of Yitzhak their father, you may remember on their behalf, and remit and forgive their sins, and deliver them out of all need. . . .”

Jerusalem Targum

“And all the peoples of the earth shall be blessed through the righteousness of your son, because you have obeyed My word.”

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan

“In the month of Nisan, the Patriarchs will arise and say to the Messiah: ‘Ephraim, our true Messiah, you are greater than we are because you suffered for the iniquities of our children, and terrible ordeals befell you, such ordeals as did not befall earlier generations or later ones. For the sake of Israel, you became a laughingstock and a derision among the nations of the earth, and sat in darkness, in thick darkness, and your eyes saw no light. And your skin cleaved to your bones, and your body was as dry as a piece of wood. And your eyes grew dim from fasting, and ‘your strength was dried up like a potsherd (Psalm 22)– All of these afflictions on account of the iniquities of our children…the Holy One, Blessed be He, will lift the Messiah up to the heaven of heavens, and cloak him in something of the splendor of His own glory…”�Pesikta Rabbati, Piska 37, translated by William Braude, Yale University Press, pgs. 685-686

“AND HE SHALL KILL THE BULLOCK BEFORE THE LORD (I, 5), while of the ram it says, And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward (zafonah) before the L-rd (ib. 11).¹ . . . When Israel offer up the daily sacrifices on the altar, and read this verse, viz. “Zafonah before the Lord”, the Holy One, blessed be He, remembers the binding of Isaac. [Elijah says]: I call heaven and earth to witness that whether a heathen or an Israelite, a man or a woman, a man-servant or a maidservant, reads this verse . . . the Holy One, blessed be He, remembers the binding of Isaac. . .”

Leviticus Rabbah 2:11, Soncino Press Edition

“In the aftermath of the Akaida, Yitzchak actually achieved the status of Kodshim, an offering dedicated to the Temple.”

Aish.com, R. Ari Kahn, Elkana and Chana

“R. Judah says: When the sword touched Isaac's throat his soul flew clean out of him. And when He let His voice be heard from between the cherubim, "Lay not thy hand upon the lad." The lad's soul was returned to his body. Then his father unbound him and Isaac rose, knowing that in this way the dead would come back to life in the future; whereupon he began to recite, "Blessed are You, HaShem, who resurrects the dead."

Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer 31

“By trusting, Avraham, when he was put to the test, offered up Yitzchak as a sacrifice. Yes, he offered up his only son, he who had received the promises, to whom it had been said, "What is called your 'seed' will be in Yitzchak." For he had concluded that G-d could even raise people from the dead! And, figuratively speaking, he did so receive him.”

Hebrews 11:17-19, Complete Jewish Bible

^“And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Genesis 21:6-7, NKJV

“Messiah is called “Yitzchak” as it says, “All who hear will laugh (Yitzchak) with me, and it is written, “Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful song.”(Psalm 126:2)”

Pirkei deRabbeinu HaKadosh, cited in Torah Club: Shadows of Messiah, Genesis, First Fruits of Zion, pg. 94

“So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.”

Genesis 22:19

“And Isaac came from the way of Beer-le-hai-roi...And Isaac went out..." From where did he go out? From Paradise. No wonder Rebekah lost her equilibrium as it says "and she fell from the camel" - for what she perceived was Isaac coming down from Paradise...” At least in the version of the Akeidah presented by this collection of parables, the Jewish reading sounds more Christian than the Christian reading of the story. How is that possible? Is it possible that the Torah is trying to suggest something to her people?’

Akeidat Yeshua: Genesis 22 in Midrash, Beth Immanuel

“Your Only Son….”

Genesis 22:2