Rashi in His Own Words
Bereishis 22:12: And he said, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him. For now, I know that you are a G-d fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me."
Rashi Heading – for now, I know, Said Rabbi Abba. Avrohom said to Hashem, "I will explain my discussion to You. Yesterday, You said, 'For in Yitzchok will be called your seed.' You retracted and said, 'Take now, your son.' Now You say to me, 'Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad.'" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I change the utterance of My lips." When I told you, "Take," I was not altering the utterance of My lips. I did not say to you, "Slaughter him," but, "Bring him up." You have brought him up; (now) take him down.
Synopsis
In this week's Torah portion, Vayeiro, we are told of the tenth and final test with which Hashem challenged Avrohom. After this test, Hashem told him, "Now I know you are a God-fearing man." Rashi tells us of Avrohom's conversation, in which he said that Hashem told him that the continuation of his nation would come through his son Yitzchok. However, presently, Hashem commands Avrohom to offer this son as a sacrifice. Rashi tells us that G-d said that He doesn't change His mind. "I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I change the utterance of My lips." When I said to you, "Take," I was not altering the utterance of My lips. I did not tell you, "Slaughter him," but rather, "Bring him up." You have brought him up; (now) take him down.
According to Peshat, how does Rashi know all of the above from the words "now I know?" There doesn't seem to be any hint from these words that Avrohom wondered how Hashem previously told him, "for in Yitzchok will be called your seed," and now told him to offer Yitzchok as a sacrifice. The words also do not allude to Hashem's response: " 'I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I change the utterance of My lips." When I said to you, 'Take,' I was not altering the utterance of My lips. I did not tell you, 'Slaughter him,' but, 'Bring him up.' You have brought him up; (now) take him down." According to Pshat, no part of this conversation appears to be hinted at in the verse!
According to Rashi's words, Avrohom is discussing a conversation with Hashem he had earlier. Where do we find this conversation?
Avrohom did not doubt Hashem's words. The conversation Rashi is referring to was one that Rashi described in his earlier comments. In this same verse, Avrohom was told not to stretch forth his hand to the lad. Avrohom was concerned that this might be because he had not passed this test with his entire heart. He, therefore, suggested inflicting a wound on him, extracting a small amount of blood, which he would sprinkle on the altar. This would reconcile the two seemingly contradictory statements made by G-d. Therefore, Hashem told him that he now knows Avrohom is a G-d-fearing man. He had thoroughly passed the test.
Rashi's Explanation
In this Torah portion, Vayeiro, Avrohom is given his tenth and final test by Hashem. He is told by G-d, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, Yitzchok, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will tell you." He woke up early the following day and took his son to carry out Hashem's command. At the last minute, he is told, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him. For now, I know that you are a G-d fearing man, as you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me."
Rashi cites the words "for now I know" and says the following. "Said Rabbi Abba; Avrohom said to Him, 'I will explain my discussion before You. Yesterday, You said, 'For in Yitzchok will be called your seed.' You seemingly retracted these words and said, 'Take now, your son.' Now You say to me, 'Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "'I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I change the utterance of My lips." When I told you, 'Take,' I was not altering the utterance of My lips. I did not say to you, 'Slaughter him,' instead I told you to, 'Bring him up.' You have brought him up; (now) take him down."
Difficulties in Understanding Rashi
According to Peshat, how does Rashi know the entire conversation between Hashem and Avrohom from the words "now I know?" There doesn't seem to be any hint from these words that Avrohom wondered how to reconcile the fact that Hashem previously told him, "for in Yitzchok will be called your seed," and then told him to offer Yitzchok as a sacrifice. The words also do not allude to Hashem's response: " 'I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I change the utterance of My lips." When I said to you, 'Take,' I was not altering the utterance of My lips. I did not tell you, 'Slaughter him,' but, 'Bring him up.' You have brought him up; (now) take him down." According to the simple understanding of the verse, no part of this conversation appears to allude to this! From where does Rashi deduce this entire conversation?
The Midrash Rabbah is the source of Rashi's words. However, Rashi changes the wording of the Midrash. It says that Avrohom wondered how Hashem could say two apparently contradictory things. However, according to Rashi, Avrohom does not ask Hashem how He could "contradict" Himself. He says that Avrohom said to Hashem, "I will explain my discussion before You." He does not imply surprise at Hashem's words. According to Rashi, Avrohom is not discussing Hashem's conversation; instead, he is talking about an earlier discussion. Additionally, we need to know which exchange he is referring to.
The Explanation
Rashi is not implying that Avrohom questioned Hashem. He had complete faith in Hashem's words. According to Peshat, it is impossible to say otherwise. Earlier, the Torah told us that G-d commanded Avrohom to go to Israel. As soon as he arrived, a famine forced him to travel to Egypt temporarily. Rashi explained that the famine was "in that land alone (Israel). This was done to test whether he would think Hashem's words were contradictory. The fact is that He first ordered him to go to the Land of Canaan, and immediately after that, He forced him to leave it." Avrohom passed the test and had no ill thoughts about Hashem's words.
Likewise, later, we find in Rashi's words that Hashem scolded Moshe, telling him, "You have questioned My ways. This was unlike Avrohom, to whom I said, 'For in Yitzchok will be called your seed.' Afterward, I said to him, 'Bring him up there for a burnt offering,' yet he did not question Me."
We see clearly from Rashi that according to the simple understanding of the Torah, Avrohom never had doubts regarding Hashem's words. Instead, he tried to explain his previous words (his conversation) with G-d.
In Rashi's previous comments on the same verse, he cites the words "do not stretch forth" and explains them as follows. "To slaughter him. Avrohom said to Him, 'If so, I have come here in vain. I will inflict a wound on him and extract a little blood.' He said to him, 'Do not do the slightest thing to him.' Do not cause him any blemish."
In our Rashi, Avrohom is explaining Avrohom's words to Hashem. Why did Avrohom want to wound his son to extract blood? In this manner, both of G-d's words would be fulfilled. Hashem responded that he was not to do anything to Yitzchok and must not even cause him a blemish.
When Avrohom was told not to stretch forth his hand, he was concerned that perhaps he had not fulfilled Hashem's command with a whole heart. Furthermore, when he was told not to even make a blemish on the youth to carry out Hashem's words, he was worried for the same reason. That is why G-d told him, "Now I know that you are a G-d-fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me." Despite his concerns, he had passed the test.
That is also how Rashi knows there was a conversation between Hashem and Avrohom. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for Hashem to assure Avrohom that he passed the test.
(Adapted from a talk given on Shabbos Parshas Vayeiro, 5748)
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