Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 22

4On the third day of the journey, Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from afar.   דבַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶת־עֵינָ֛יו וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־הַמָּק֖וֹם מֵֽרָחֹֽק:
בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי - On the third day. Why did God delay showing it to him immediately? So that people should not say, “God suddenly stunned and confused him, causing him to be irrational, but if he would have had time to reflect in his mind he would not have done it.”   בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי.  לָמָה אֵחַר מִלְּהַרְאוֹתוֹ מִיָּד? כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ הֲמָמוֹ וְעִרְבְּבוֹ פִּתְאוֹם וְטָרַף דַּעְתּוֹ, וְאִלוּ הָיָה לוֹ שָׁהוּת לְהִמָּלֵךְ אֶל לִבּוֹ לֹא הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה:
וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם - And saw the place. He saw a cloud attached to the top of the mountain.   וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם.  רָאָה עָנָן קָשׁוּר עַל הָהָר:
5Abraham said to his young men, “You stay here with the donkey, while I and Isaac, the young man, go a short distance over there. We will prostrate ourselves in prayer and then return to you.”   הוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶל־נְעָרָ֗יו שְׁבֽוּ־לָכֶ֥ם פֹּה֙ עִם־הַֽחֲמ֔וֹר וַֽאֲנִ֣י וְהַנַּ֔עַר נֵֽלְכָ֖ה עַד־כֹּ֑ה וְנִשְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֖ה וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶֽם:
עַד־כֹּה - Over there. This means a short distance, to the place that is ahead of us. The aggadic explanation is: “I will go and see how will be fulfilled that which the Omnipresent told me, ‘Thus (כֹּה) will be your descendants.’” 1   עַד־כֹּה.  כְּלוֹמַר דֶּרֶךְ מֻעָט לַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר לְפָנֵינוּ. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה אֶרְאֶה הֵיכָן הוּא מַה שֶּׁאָמַר לִי הַמָּקוֹם כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ:
וְנָשׁוּבָה - And we will return. He unwittingly prophesied that they would both return.   וְנָשׁוּבָה.  נִתְנַבֵּא שֶׁיָּשׁוּבוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם:
6Abraham took the wood for the ascent-offering and placed it on his son, Isaac. He took the fire and knife in his hand, and the two of them walked on together.   ווַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֲצֵ֣י הָֽעֹלָ֗ה וַיָּ֨שֶׂם֙ עַל־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָד֔וֹ אֶת־הָאֵ֖שׁ וְאֶת־הַמַּֽאֲכֶ֑לֶת וַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם יַחְדָּֽו:
הַמַּֽאֲכֶלֶת - means “the knife,” so called because it consumes (אוֹכֶלֶת) the flesh, as we find: “My sword will devour (תֹּאכַל) their flesh,” 2 and because it makes the meat fit for eating (אֲכִילָה). Another explanation: This knife specifically was so called because the Israelites still “eat” (אוֹכְלִים) of the reward given for it.   הַמַּֽאֲכֶלֶת.  סַכִּין, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁאוֹכֶלֶת אֶת הַבָּשָׂר, כְּמָה דְתֵימָא וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר (דברים ל"ב), וְשֶׁמַּכְשֶׁרֶת בָּשָׂר לַאֲכִילָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר זֹאת נִקְרֵאת מַאֲכֶלֶת עַל שֵׁם שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל אוֹכְלִים מַתַּן שְׂכָרָהּ:
וַיֵּֽלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּֽו - And the two of them walked on together. Abraham, who knew that he was going to slaughter his son, went willingly and joyfully, just like Isaac who did not realize this.   וַיֵּֽלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּֽו.  אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לִשְׁחֹט אֶת בְּנוֹ הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ בְּרָצוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה כְּיִצְחָק, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מַרְגִּישׁ בַּדָּבָר:
7Isaac said to Abraham, his father, “My father!” and he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the ascent-offering?”   זוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִצְחָ֜ק אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֤ם אָבִיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֔י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֶּ֣נִּי בְנִ֑י וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֤ה הָאֵשׁ֙ וְהָ֣עֵצִ֔ים וְאַיֵּ֥ה הַשֶּׂ֖ה לְעֹלָֽה:
8Abraham replied, “God will see to a lamb for an ascent-offering, and if He does not, then you, my son, will be the offering.” The two of them walked on together.   חוַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֱלֹהִ֞ים יִרְאֶה־לּ֥וֹ הַשֶּׂ֛ה לְעֹלָ֖ה בְּנִ֑י וַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם יַחְדָּֽו:
יִרְאֶה־לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה - [God] will see to a lamb. In other words: He will look and choose for Himself the lamb, and if there is no lamb – לְעֹלָה בְּנִי – “for an ascent-offering, my son,” i.e., my son will be the ascent-offering. And even though Isaac now understood that he was going to be slaughtered – “the two of them walked on together” with equal heart and enthusiasm to fulfill God’s will.   יִרְאֶה־לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה.  כְּלוֹמַר יִרְאֶה וְיִבְחַר לוֹ הַשֶּׂה, וְאִם אֵין שֶׂה, לעולה בני. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵבִין יִצְחָק שֶׁהוּא הוֹלֵךְ לְהִשָּׁחֵט, וַיֵּֽלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּֽו בְּלֵב שָׁוֶה: