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A MORE COMPLETE EXPLANATION...
The Christian idea of the messiah is that Jesus was the blood sacrifice
that saves everyone from his or her sin. But who, exactly, died on that
cross? If it was Jesus-the-god, that would mean that Gd can die. But
how can Gd die? If it was only Jesus-the-human, then all Christians are
left with is a human sacrifice. What, exactly, does Gd say about human
sacrifice in the TaNaKH?
In Deuteronomy, Gd calls human sacrifice something that Gd hates; an abomination to Gd.
Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them,
after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire
not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods?
even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the Etrnl thy Gd:
for every abomination to the Etrnl, which he hateth, have they done
unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have
burnt in the fire to their gods. [Deuteronomy 12:30-31]
In Jeremiah, Gd tells us that Human sacrifice is so horrible a concept, that it did not even come into Gd's mind.
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and
have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their
fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place
with the blood of innocents; They have built also the high places of
Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which
I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into my mind: Therefore,
behold, the days come, saith the Etrnl, that this place shall no more
be called Tophet, nor The Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but The Valley
of Slaughter. [Jeremiah 19:4-6]
Similarly, in Psalm 106 and in Ezekiel 16:
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And
shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their
daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land
was polluted with blood. [Psalm 106:37-38]
Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast
borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured.
Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter? [Ezekiel 16:20]
Some Christians might claim that Gd seemed to want human sacrifices,
because Gd appeared to demand one from Abraham, when He commanded the
sacrifice of Isaac. This is a misreading of the biblical text in
Genesis. When one reads this section carefully, one sees something
quite different.
Most Jewish biblical commentators interpret this incident as a
test of Abraham's loyalty: Gd wanted to see if he would actually kill
Isaac, his own son. However, a number of Jewish commentators from the
medieval era, and many in the modern era as well, read the text
somewhat differently. The early rabbinic midrash 'Genesis Rabbah'
imagines Gd as saying 'I never considered telling Abraham to slaughter
Isaac.' Rabbi Yona Ibn Janach (Spain, 11th century) wrote that Gd
demanded only a symbolic sacrifice. Rabbi Yosef Ibn Caspi (Spain, early
14th century) wrote that Abraham's imagination led him astray, making
him believe that he had been commanded to sacrifice his son. Ibn Caspi
writes 'How could Gd command such a revolting thing?'
Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz (Chief Rabbi of the British Empire),
writes that child sacrifice was actually 'rife among the Semitic
peoples,' and suggests that 'in that age, it was astounding that
Abraham's Gd should have interposed to prevent the sacrifice, not that
He should have asked for it.' Hertz interprets the Binding of Isaac as
demonstrating that human sacrifice is abhorrent. 'Unlike the cruel
heathen deities, it was the spiritual surrender alone that Gd
required.'
Let's examine the text:
And it came to pass after these things, that Gd did test Abraham,
and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he
said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get
thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering
upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. [Genesis 22:1-2]
The text reads that Abraham should 'offer him there for a burnt offering'.
It does not read that Gd told Abraham to kill him for a burnt offering!
The original Hebrew is actually even clearer on this issue. The Hebrew reads, 'v’ha-ah-ley-hu sham l’o-lah.' It translates as, 'Raise him up there FOR a sacrifice.' The text does not say that Gd demanded Isaac to BE a sacrifice, but rather only that he should be raised up for one.
Furthermore, a close reading of the text tells us that this was a test,
and that Abraham did not pass it. What is the test to which Abraham is
being put? Gd wants Abraham to tell Gd, 'NO! I WON’T DO IT!' Abraham
had just defended people he did not know in Sodom and Gemorrah. So Gd's
test of Abraham is whether or not he would defend his own family as
vigorously as he had defended strangers. Like many of us, he did not.
He flunked. Many of us, for example, will talk sweetly to a voice on
the phone, get off the phone, and then speak disrespectfully to our
kids or our spouse, treating others, even strangers, better than we
treat those we love.
When the test is first put before Abraham, the day before he
actually takes the knife, preparing to kill his own son, Gd speaks to
him directly:
And it came to pass after these things, that Gd did tempt Abraham,
and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And He
said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get
thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering
upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. [Genesis 22:1-2]
Please not that it is Gd speaking directly to Abraham, and not an angel of Gd.
However, after he takes hold of the knife, it is only an Angel of Gd who speaks to Abraham:
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his
son. And the Angel of the Etrnl called unto him out of heaven, and
said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. [Genesis 22:10-11]
And then later it is still only an Angel of Gd who speaks to Abraham:
And the Angel of the Etrnl called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time… [Genesis 22:15]
As a matter of fact, Gd never spoke directly to Abraham again. From the
very moment that Abraham demonstrated his willingness to actually kill
his son, Gd never again spoke directly to Abraham.
Note also that the promises of the Angel of Gd to Abraham are
nothing new, they are only reiterating what Gd, directly, had already
promised to him (cf. Gen. 12:2, 12:3, 12:7, 13:15, 13:16, 13:17, 15:1,
15:5, 15:7, 15:14, 15:18, 17:2, 17:4, 17:6, 17:8, 17:16). It is as if
Gd was saying to the Angel, 'I am through with him. Pat him on the head
because he thinks he did right, remind him of his reward for his
previous faith, but I am done with him!'
You see, Gd had already told Abraham His covenant would go
through Isaac. Gd wanted Abraham to say, 'Wait a minute, You, Gd, are
now going against Your own word!' Gd knows that we are always closer to
those we will argue with, than with those we will not.
When person does wrong, who are you more likely to admonish: someone you know, or someone you do not know?
Gd wants us to be that close to Gd. Gd wants us to be like
Abraham, who was willing to argue with Gd regarding strangers in Sodom
and Gemorrah. Gd wants us to be as close to Gd as Moses was, indicated
by the fact that Moses argued with Gd -- repeatedly -- on behalf of the
People of Israel. Gd wants us to be like Job, who felt so close to Gd
that he could argue with Gd for justice. We can argue with Gd like true
close friends can argue with each other, because Gd is truly our
Closest Friend. Abraham flunked Gd's test, and so Gd never spoke to
Abraham directly again.
Note also the true meaning of the word, 'Israel,' which is 'One
who wrestles with Gd.' We are not to be blind followers (the word
'Christian' means 'follower of the Christ’), and we are not to merely
submit to Gd ('Islam' means 'voluntary submission to Gd.' A Muslim is
one who submits to Gd).
We Jews are to be wrestlers with Gd, like True Friends can do with each other. THAT is how close Gd wants us to be with Him. |
