Isaac
Isaac ( Hebrew : / Ishaq / in Arabic : (Ishaq)) is the son of Abraham and Sarah. He is the husband of Rebecca and father of Jacob and Esau , but also the half brother of Ishmael.
Summary |
Birth
Abraham is 99 years old, and Sarah age 90, when three angels announce the first that his wife will give him a son. Yet Sarah is not only sterile and menopausal , but according to rabbinical tradition, she did not even die. She can not help cracking a smile, hence the name of the child.
Isaac was circumcised by his father eight days after his birth (Genesis 21 verse 4) pursuant to the covenant between God and Abraham (Genesis 17 verses 10 to 14), where the tradition of Jewish the Brith Milah at that age.
The "sacrifice" of Isaac
Genesis 22: God commands Abraham to take Isaac on Mount Moriah and bring a knife. According to Muslims , it is Ishmael who was the propitiation, because as written, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son "unique" and Ishmael is older, he would be the "only son" to the birth of Isaac. According to the Bible, a messenger from God stops Abraham in his gesture, and it sacrifices in his stead a ram, whose horns were caught in a bush.
In fact, according to Rashi , it says "only son" when speaking of Isaac because he is truly the first born of his Jewish wife Sarah, while Ishmael is none other than the son of Hagar the Egyptian servant of Sarah. That is why God said to Abraham "your only son" in reference to the son (Isaac) of his lawful wife Sarah. Isaac's wife, Rivka, gave birth to Ya'akov (Jacob), who had four wives: Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah who give birth to 12 children, who form the 12 tribes of Israel.
This biblical episode, yet translated incorrectly by the sacrifice of Isaac in Christianity, is known in Judaism as the ligation of Isaac ( 'akedat Isaac in Hebrew) because it has not been sacrificed and because God does not decide at any moment the words "kill" or "sacrifice." One interpretation of this passage in light of midrash led fathers to sacrifice their own son in the Middle Ages, taking a ritual recalling the sacrifices in the Temple of Jerusalem : "You shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a holocaust to God, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire unto God "(Exodus 29, 18). During the first and second crusades, Isaac was regarded by the Jews of the Rhine Valley as a martyr and a model to follow. Four Hebrew chronicles have survived and many elegies (, Kinoti in Hebrew) that tell the tragic events. Rabbi Ephraim ben Yaakov of Bonn and relates the sacrifice of Jewish community of Blois , France:
"Nearly thirty-two holy souls who had offered sacrifice in the afternoon to their Creator. God smelled the pleasing aroma and the one he chose is the one that brought them near him! "
Family Life
Genesis 24: 40 years old when his father sent his servant Eliezer to find a wife from among his family's country of Aram. Eliezer returns with Rebecca , sister of Laban , that Isaac's wife. She gives her son two twins, Esau says "Rufus" (Edom), (Isaac is the favorite because he brought him food), and Jacob , whose name derives from the fact that he left the womb taking Esau's heel.
Following a period of food shortage, it migrates toward Gerar, then to Beersheba , where God himself will renew the covenant made with his father. Isaac is also a peace treaty with King Abimelech.
His eyesight declines with age. Esau, hungry and thirsty, sells for a lentil soup his birthright to Jacob. Before his death, Isaac, became blind, Esau wants to restore his rights. Rebecca takes advantage of his blindness to make him give his blessing to Jacob. Isaac does not recognize it when it pretends to be Esau in order to obtain his blessing. However, it does not changed his mind after discovering the fraud.
He died "old and full of days" (Genesis 35:27-29) at Mamre, before being buried in the family vault of Machpela.
In Jewish tradition, so Abraham represents love (timidation hahessed), Isaac is the rigor (timidation hadin). Isaac never left his life of the Land of Israel.
 Patriarchs | ||
| Child: Abraham | Isaac husband of Rebecca | Parent: Esau Jacob |
Links to the biblical
Genesis
- Chapter 18 (1-15) oaks of Mamre, announces the birth of Isaac
- Chapter 21 Birth of Isaac, Sarah's conflict with Hagar and Ishmael, God's promises to Ishmael
- Chapter 22 Sacrifice of Isaac, renewal of the covenant
- Chapter 24 Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca
- Chapter 25 ends the life of Abraham, the birth of Esau and Jacob, sale of birthright
- Chapter 26 Famine, Isaac feared for his life and puts his wife to her sister with Abimelech marriage of Esau
- Chapter 27 Jacob deceived his father with the help of his mother's blessing on Jacob's eldest son, Esau wants to kill his brother Jacob
- Chapter 28:1-9 Rivka, the wife of Isaac sends Jacob to take refuge with his uncle Lavan.
- Chapter 35:27-29 Death of Isaac
Links to Parasha
- Vayera , Genesis 18:1-22:24
- Haye Sarah , Genesis 23:1-25:18
- Toledot , Genesis 25:19-28:9
- Vayetze , Genesis 28:10-32:3
- Vayishla'h , Genesis 32:4-36:43
Bibliography
- Xavier Tilliette , philosophers read the Bible , Cerf, 2001, Cardinal Grente price of the French Academy
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