“Vayeira Yahweh” are the first two words found
in this week’s Torah parasha. These
terms simply mean, “Yahweh appeared.”
This is an apt beginning as Yahweh appears all over this reading
and all through the day of any human willing to stop and look, listen,
and discern the Almighty’s power and presence.
In this portion, we meet up with Avram as Yahweh
reveals himself to not only promise a son but also to give Avinu Avraham
an extreme test of faith - the “Akeidah.”
In this timeless tale, Avram is told by Yahweh
to travel with the promised son to the Mountain of Moriah and offer
him as a sacrifice. Avram obeys
in total faith, rising early the next morning and starting on the three-day
journey. (Note that Avram does not wait one day to obey
– he starts out first thing in the morning, setting an example for all
believers to start the beginning of each day with Yahweh and obedience
to His word.) As Avram and Yitz’chak
reach the mountain Avram places the wood for the altar on the back of
Yitz’chak, while Avram carries the knife and the fire.
Then the two ascend to worship.
When they arrive at the certain place of sacrifice Avram totally
trusts Yahweh and makes the preparations to offer his only true son
to the Almighty. As the father
raises his hand to slaughter his son an angel from heaven stops the
act and then reveals a ram in the thicket.
The animal is sacrificed and the son is saved while the heavenly
messenger commends Avram’s trust.
This
is the story of our father’s most difficult challenge of faith. It was this challenge that led to Yahweh revealing
Himself as Yahweh Yireh – Yahweh who provides. Our Jewish brothers call this account “the Akeidah.”
The binding is a reminder
“Akediah” is
the Hebrew word for “binding.” It
is only used in one verse in the entire Bible in Beresheet 22:9, when
Avraham actually bound up or tied up his son to the altar to kill him. This specific usage of the Hebrew word is found
nowhere else in the Scriptures and appears here to stress the fact that
Avraham was willing to sacrifice everything for Yahweh. The Encyclopedia Judaica says that the “Akeidah
has become in Jewish thought the supreme example of self-sacrifice in
obedience to the Almighty’s will.”
For
centuries believers in the Tanakh have spoken this Biblical account,
coupled with two short prayers every morning as a way to remember the
obedience that Yahweh desires. The
Jews call this reciting the Akeidah.
This daily recitation is a reminder of the mercy and judgment
of Yahweh coming together in perfect unity.
The Zohar teaches that it was during the Akediah that “water
was crowned with fire.” This means that through this experience Yahweh
revealed that love or mercy and judgment are equal attributes of Yahweh.
Stop for a minute
Avram is the father of the faith, the patriarch
of the patriarchs, and an amazing man who passed many tests of Yahweh. It should be every believers desire to live
as Avram lived, to believe as Avram believed, to trust as Avram trusted,
to obey and Avram obeyed. How
else can a person do that except through constantly and perhaps daily
reminding yourself on how to act? Because
of the fallen world and the fallen state of man it is so easy to forget
the holy, the set apart. It is so easy to carry on daily mundane activities
and to stop thinking about the supernatural. During the busyness of our modern society it
is effortless to simply go through the motions of the day. Weeks can even pass without truly stopping and
realizing that we are created to be “human beings” and not “human doings.” What can man do to combat and stop this unspiritual
way of life? The answer is simple
– just remember. Remember Yahweh
and remember His teachings and way of life.
To help man remember Almighty Yahweh has given us reminders.
Yahweh appears
Yes,
humankind needs reminders and Yahweh has graciously provided them. This portion is called “Vayeira Yahweh” or “Yahweh
appeared” and he does so even today.
It is through the objects of a Hebrew culture – the mezuzah,
the Shema, the tzitzit, the festivals, the Shabbat and more, that Yahweh
appears in this world, in this realm.
All of these are reminders to help the Nazarene deny the flesh
and walk in the Spirit. And the Akeidah is no different. It is through obedience to the Torah and through
remembering the Almighty, that Yahweh’s glory is made manifest and “Vayeira
Yahweh” – Yahweh appears.
Take a minute and think about your life. Are you as close in your relationship to Yahweh
as you could be? Do you surround
yourself with things holy? Are
your thoughts constantly on worldly matters or do you stop throughout
the day to reflect on things of the spiritual side?
Would daily reciting the Akeidah help our hurt your spiritual
walk?
Honestly, we could all be closer to our Creator.
To help, here is the prayers that precede and follow the reading
of the Akeidah and the verses of the story.
Try simply praying and reading this in the mornings and see what
happens. Quite possibly this
Torah portion has the answer, the missing link to a higher spiritual
plane that you’ve been looking for. Through remembering Yahweh what happened to Avram will happen to
you – “Vayeira Yahweh” – Yahweh will appear.
Akeidah
Prayers:
“Our Elohim and Elohim
of our forefathers, remember us with a favorable memory before You,
and recall us with a recollection of salvation and mercy from the primeval
loftiest of heavens. Remember
on our behalf – O Elohim, our Elohim – the love of the Patriarchs, Avraham,
Yitz’chak, an Isra’el, Your servant; the covenant, the kindness, and
the oath that You swore to our father Avraham at Mount Moriah, and the
Akeidah, when he bound his son Yitz’chak atop the altar, as it is written
in Your Torah.”
Genesis
22:1-19 recitation
“Some
time later Elohim tested Avram. He said to him, “Avram!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then Elohim said, “Take your son, your only
son, Yitz’chak, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice
him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you
about.” Early the next morning Avram got up and saddled
his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Yitz’chak.
When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the
place Elohim had told him about. On
the third day Avram looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the
donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we
will come back to you.” Avram
took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Yitz’chak,
and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went
on together, Yitz’chak spoke up and said to his father Avram, “Father?”
Yes, my son?” Avram replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Yitz’chak said, “but where is the
lamb for the burnt offering?” Avram
answered, “Elohim himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,
my son.” And the two of them went on together.
When they reached the place Elohim had told him about, Avram
built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Yitz’chak
and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
But the angel of Yahweh called out to him from heaven, “Avram!
Avram!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do
not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear Elohim, because you
have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Avram looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by
its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt
offering instead of his son. So
Avram called that place Yahweh Yireh - Yahweh Will Provide. And to this
day it is said, “On the mountain of Yahweh it will be provided.”
The angel of Yahweh called to Avram from heaven a second time
and said, “I swear by myself, declares Yahweh, that because you have
done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely
bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the
sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession
of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations
on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Then Avram returned to his servants, and they set off together
for Beersheba. And Avram stayed in Beersheba.”
Akeidah Prayers:
“Master of the Universe! May it be Your will, Yahweh, our Elohim, and
Elohim of our forefathers, that You remember for our sake the covenant
of our forefathers. Just as
Avraham our forefather suppressed his mercy for his only son and wished
to slaughter him in order to do Your will, so may Your mercy suppress
Your anger from upon us and may Your mercy overwhelm Your attributes.
May You overstep with us the line of Your Torah and deal with
us – O Yahweh our Elohim – with the attribute of kindness and the attribute
of mercy. In Your great goodness may You turn aside Your
burning wrath from Your people, Your city, Your land, and Your heritage.
Fulfill for us, Yahweh, our Elohim, the word You pledged through
Moshe, Your servant , as it is said: ‘I shall remember My covenant with
Ya’acov; and also My covenant with Yitz’chak, and also My covenant with
Avraham shall I remember, and the land shall I remember.’
Awmain.”
