In today’s Chumash, we learn the story of the Akeidah, and how Avraham Avinu finds out about a shidduch for Yitzchak.

The Akeida: The Satan complained to Hashem that Avraham hadn’t given a Korban from the time he moved to Chevron. Hashem said that it wasn’t true — everything Avraham did was for Hashem, and he would even give up his own son for Hashem!

Yishmael had done some teshuvah and moved back to Chevron to be closer to Avraham. But he thought HE deserved to be Hashem’s shliach after Avraham passed away. He boasted that he had a bris even though it hurt. Yitzchak answered that he would even give up his whole body to Hashem!

After hearing what the Satan and Yitzchak said, Hashem gave Avraham this exact test.

He told Avraham to take Yitzchak to Har Hamoriah, where the Beis Hamikdash would be built. He should prepare him to be a korban for Hashem.

Avraham woke up early in the morning. He woke up early, and saddled his own donkey to carry the wood and tools instead of asking a servant to help. He chopped the wood himself, and took along Eliezer (his servant), Yishmael, and Yitzchak.

Even though it usually took one day to travel to Har Hamoriah, Avraham only reached Har Hamoriah on the third day. He saw a cloud over the mountain and realized that this was the mountain Hashem wanted him to go to.

Avraham told Eliezer and Yishmael to stay with the donkey, and he and Yitzchak would go daven and come back to them. (He didn’t even realize but he said a nevuah, that Yitzchak would come back too!)

Avraham had Yitzchak carry the wood, while he carried the fire and the knife. Both of them were ready to do whatever Hashem wanted, even though Yitzchak didn’t know yet that he was going to become a korban.

Yitzchak then asked Avraham where the animal for the Korban was. Avraham told him that if Hashem doesn’t send something else, Yitzchak would be the korban. Yitzchak was still happy to walk with his father to do what Hashem wanted.

When they came to the right place, Avraham built a mizbeiach and arranged the wood on it. He tied up Yitzchak and put him onto the mizbeiach. Avraham took the knife, ready to shecht his son.

The Torah calls the knife a Ma’acheles, from the word “ochel,” to eat. Rashi explains that this is to hint to us that the Yidden will “eat” and enjoy the reward of this zechus for all generations!

The malachim all cried when they saw Avraham holding the knife, and some tears fell into Yitzchak’s eyes (later making him not able to see very well).

A malach called out and said “Avraham! Avraham! Do not shecht your son!” Avraham thought he should still give Yitzchak a small cut, but the malach said “No, do nothing!” Avraham was sad, because he thought this meant that he failed Hashem’s test.

Hashem said, “I didn’t WANT you to bring Yitzchak as a korban at all, it was just a test — and you were ready to do it, you passed the test!”

But Avraham didn’t just want to pass the test, he wanted Hashem to promise him brachos. He knew that for that, he had to give a Korban. So he looked around and saw a ram running to him! Hashem set aside this ram since creating the world, just for this reason! But the Satan was upset that Avraham had passed the test, so he made the ram’s horns get stuck in a bush. Avraham helped the ram free and brought it as a korban. Since he brought the ram as a korban as if it was Yitzchok, Yitzchok also became holy like a korban.

Avraham called this place “Hashem Yireh,” which means that Hashem sees. Avraham davened to Hashem, asking that Hashem should see this place as the one where the Shechinah will rest, and korbanos will be brought in the future.

After the korban, the malach called out again: “Since you were ready to give your only son as a korban, your children will become as many as the stars in the sky and the sand by the sea, and take over Eretz Yisroel!”

~

Avraham went back to live in Be’er Sheva. He realized that now was a good time for Yitzchak to get married. He was going to see if Aner, Eshkol or Mamrei had any daughters that would be good for Yitzchak. Hashem told Avraham that his nephew Besuel had a baby Rivka who deserved to be a wife for Yitzchak, so he stopped looking.