Love and awe as wings for Torah

במדרש בית יעקב א' פדה כו' יעקב פדה אברהם מכבשן האש.

In the Midrash: "The house of Yaakov…" — Yaakov redeemed Avraham from the fiery furnace.

The Midrash teaches the striking idea that it was the merit of Yaakov, his grandson, that saved Avraham from the furnace of Ur Kasdim.

אף כי הי' אברהם כדאי לעצמו בצדקו.

This is so even though Avraham was worthy in his own right, through his righteousness.

Avraham's own tzidkus was certainly great enough to merit being saved, so why does the Midrash attribute his rescue to Yaakov?

אך שורש הנסים לשנות הטבע ניתן רק לבנ"י והם מתחילין מיעקב.

But the root of miracles — to change nature — was given only to Bnei Yisrael, and they begin with Yaakov.

The power to override the natural order belongs specifically to the nation of Yisrael, and that nation truly begins with Yaakov, whose offspring were all righteous.

ואברהם ויצחק היו הכנה ליעקב ונקראו כנפי מצוה.

Avraham and Yitzchak were a preparation for Yaakov, and they are called "the wings of the mitzvah."

The first two Avos were a necessary groundwork leading to Yaakov; like wings that lift a mitzvah upward, their middos enabled Yaakov's level to take flight.

ע"פ מ"ש בזוה"ק אורייתא ופקודין דלא איתעבדין בדחילו ורחימו לא פרחין לעילא.

This is based on what the Zohar HaKadosh says: Torah and mitzvos that are not performed with yirah (awe) and ahavah (love) do not fly upward.

The Zohar teaches that Torah and mitzvos need the "wings" of fear and love of Hashem in order to ascend on high.

לכן מדת אברהם ויצחק הי' הקדמה לבחי' יעקב שהיא התורה והמצוה.

Therefore the middah of Avraham and Yitzchak was a prerequisite to the aspect of Yaakov, which is Torah and mitzvos.

Avraham embodies ahavah and Yitzchak embodies yirah — the two "wings"; Yaakov represents Torah and mitzvos themselves, which those wings carry aloft.

ולכן הי' ניצול עי"ז שבחי' יעקב בא ע"י הקדמתו.

Therefore he was saved through this — for the aspect of Yaakov comes about by means of Avraham's own preparation.

Since Avraham himself was the foundation that made Yaakov's level possible, the saving power of "Yaakov" was in effect already latent within Avraham — so it was fitting that Yaakov's merit redeemed him.

וגם פי' פדה את אברהם כי באמת אהבה היא מדה גבוהה מאוד ויש קטרוג ע"ז איך יהי' כדאי ב"ו להיות אוהב למקום ב"ה.

There is a further explanation of "he redeemed Avraham": in truth ahavah is a very lofty middah, and there is an accusation against it — how can flesh and blood be worthy to be a lover of the Omnipresent, blessed be He?

Avraham's defining trait was love of Hashem, but such intense love invites a heavenly challenge: who is mortal man to presume to love the Creator? This very loftiness leaves the middah vulnerable.

אכן ע"י שבא מזה האהבה תיקון האדם לבוא ע"י לתורה ומצות.

However, since from this ahavah comes the rectification of the person — to be brought thereby to Torah and mitzvos —

The answer is that Avraham's love was not an end in itself; it led onward to Torah and mitzvos, the level of Yaakov, and so it produced concrete spiritual fruit.

זה הגנה וסניגור על האהבה שתתקיים באדם כנ"ל והבן:

— this is a protection and an advocate for the ahavah, so that it should endure within the person, as above — and understand this.

Because Avraham's love bore the fruit of Torah and mitzvos (Yaakov), that outcome defends the love against the heavenly accusation and allows it to remain firmly rooted in a person.

Summary: Yaakov could redeem Avraham because the power to transcend nature belongs to Bnei Yisrael, who begin with Yaakov, while Avraham and Yitzchak — love and awe — are the "wings" that carry Torah and mitzvos upward. Avraham's lofty love is challenged from on high, but because it leads to the Torah and mitzvos of Yaakov, that outcome defends and sustains the love within every person.