The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | AUGUST 26, 2021
there were many obstacles put in his path on the way to the Akeidah, including a raging river. Yet, Avraham Avinu overcame everything. So why would he – having just reached the ultimate level of total dedication to Hashem – fail to offer a sacrifice because the animal was trapped in the bushes? Would Avraham Avinu just say, “C’mon! Enough’s enough! I just passed the most difficult test! Why must I do more?! If I’m supposed to bring a sacrifice, at least make this one easy!” HaRav Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l, answered that the sacrificing of the ram was never in question; of course, Avraham Avinu would do it. He just reached the highest level of subservience to Hashem. He was ready to sacrifice his own son. However, Avraham wanted to sacrifice the ram with the same dedication and devotion that he had experienced when he held the knife to slaughter his son. The Satan knew that inspiration fades quickly. Ev-
ery second of delay might mean that Avraham Avinu would lose an infinitesimal amount of spiritual elevation. Yes, the sacrificing of the ram was a foregone conclusion, but
to cause Avraham Avinu to descend a minuscule amount from his spiritual pinnacle, thereby slightly decreasing the “value” of the sacrifice. If a time delay is a danger for
Every second of delay might mean that Avraham Avinu would lose an infinitesimal amount of spiritual elevation.
the emotion and feeling behind the action was not. Every moment of inaction is a danger, even for someone who has reached the pinnacle of Divine fidelity. The Satan realized that the brief delay caused by the entrapment of the ram might be just enough time
Avraham Avinu, it is certainly perilous for us. If an individual is inspired and makes a commitment, he must act on it immediately. Rebbe Elazar was impressed by the wealthy man’s fulfillment of this creed – he took action in middle of a conversation!
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In Sefer Yonah, the verse states that after the storm subsided, the sailors took vows. They were inspired to act after witnessing the miraculous events. Some meforshim explain that they never actually fulfilled them: The vows could only be fulfilled on land, and by the time they came ashore they had already lost their inspiration. This happens many times – people make commitments in moments of inspiration, only to see them unfulfilled because of the delay in their performance. Many of us will, be”H, make commitments on or before Rosh Hashanah. The trick is to act on them immediately, before it’s too late.
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow is a rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. In addition, Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@gmail.com.
