A commentary on Bereshit (Genesis) 22 examining the story of Abraham and Isaac and the moral questions it raises about faith, obedience, and the voice of conscience.
Bereshit (Genesis) 22 contains one of the most debated scenes in the Torah: the command given to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. In Jewish tradition this episode is often known as the Binding of Isaac (Akedah).
This commentary belongs to a series of reflections on key passages of Bereshit (Genesis), examining creation, sacrifice, the corruption of the world, and the moral limits of faith.
Contents: Bereshit (Genesis) 22 — Abraham, Isaac, and the Moral Questions Raised by the Story
Bereshit (Genesis) 22:1–3
Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac — illustration of Bereshit (Genesis) 22 in the Torah.
1 Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test—saying to him, “Abraham.” He answered, “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.”
3 So early next morning, Abraham saddled his donkey and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him.*
The Command and the Moral Questions It Raises
If one believes that the LORD described in the narrative is the Absolute Love and Creator of everything, a number of difficult moral questions naturally arise.
Why would the Creator of life require absolute obedience and the willingness to sacrifice a beloved son as proof of faith?
If the Almighty sees everything, including human thoughts and the level of the soul, why did the figure called LORD not recognise the level of Abraham’s soul?
Such questions invite the reader to examine the narrative carefully, using both spiritual vision and the voice of conscience.
Bereshit 22:15–18
15 The angel of GOD called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
16 and said, “By Myself I swear, GOD declares: Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your favored one,
17 I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes.
18 All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command.”
The Promise Given to Abraham
In Bereshit (Genesis) 22:15–18 of the Torah, the narrative continues with a promise. Because Abraham has obeyed the command, he is told that his descendants will become as numerous and blessed.
Questions Raised by the Promise
If the Almighty is the Creator of all humanity, what does it mean when blessing and power appear to be granted to the descendants of one man/nation as a reward for obedience to such a cruel command?
What kind of moral image of the “divine” emerges when a promise follows immediately after a father has shown willingness to sacrifice his own son?
And if a people is said to be blessed through descendants, should that blessing be understood as domination over other peoples?
Such questions invite readers to reflect carefully on the passage, weighing its meaning not only through tradition but also through reason and the voice of conscience.
The episode of Abraham and Isaac therefore remains one of the most debated passages of the Torah, inviting every generation to reconsider the moral nature of faith and to weigh the narrative through the voice of conscience.
