By Boruch Cohen
 | Sometimes self-sacrifice is not as selfless as it's cracked up to be. Whether the perceived gain is eternal bliss or political propaganda, a famous death can look better than an obscure life...
6 Comments Posted
Thank you for this wonderful article. I'm going trough some tough losses now in my life, and this article gives me faith to keep my eyes on my life goals.
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I find the articles of this author very inspiring and exquisitely written. Thank you, and please keep writing.
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Thank you for this reply. So as I understand it, the Akedia was not really for the benifit of Abraham or Isaac but for the nation of Israel; for the future holy generation that would come from Abraham. It seems that this was Abraham's ultimate test of his belief that G-d would fulfill Abraham's dream that a holy nation would emerge and spread the belief of 1 G-d to the entire world.
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Ahhhh, sorry, I simply can't agree with this one. The balance sheet of life was not at all misleading. As you say, Abraham knew that all was for naught if Isaac were destroyed. And he was correct. And all was not for naught, for Isaac was saved.
Illness, tragedies, loss of life are indeed losses. Abraham did not have to incur this type of loss. Would that our illness, tragdies and loss of life were only "almosts" as Abraham's were!
I have no intention to be irreverent but simply intend to point out that the point of Mr. Cohen's story seems a bit misplaced.
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Thanks for the comment Aron. The point of the article is that faith in divine providence is expressed through the faith to move forward (to keep on keeping on, spiritually speaking).
The "immeasurable profit" is the depth of meaning generated by that faith; by the forward motion of purpose; and by the resulting harmony with that purpose.
Avraham did not know that his son would be spared.
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Once again I must respectfully disagree, Rebbe. When I first read your comment, I thought: Of course, Avraham did not know that his son would be spared! We all learned that as children. Just then it struck me right between the eyes: Avraham DID know! He had to have known. 1. G-d knew Avraham's heart just as Avraham had a connection to G-d. Avraham did His will with a complete heart and must certainly have known that G-d would, accordingly, let no calamity befall him. (Ps. 91) 2. Yitzhak asked Avraham where is the ram for the burnt offering; Avraham replied that G-d will provide the ram. I always thought this remark was to avoid unnecessarily alarming Yitzhak, but not so! G-d did indeed provide the ram, caught in the thicket by its horns, as Avraham knew He would! Avraham knew that Hashem deplores human sacrifice and would never ask him to stoop to the level of the barbaric tribes that surrounded him.
Just my opinion!
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