Avraham's longing for self-sacrifice

במדרש בית יעקב אשר פדה את אברהם כו'.

In the Midrash: "the house of Yaakov, who redeemed Avraham" (Yeshayahu 29:22).

The Sefas Emes opens with the puzzling Midrashic verse that Yaakov "redeemed" his grandfather Avraham.

וכי לא הי' אברהם אע"ה כדאי להנצל בזכות עצמו.

But was Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, not worthy to be saved by his own merit?

The obvious question: surely Avraham's own righteousness was enough to save him — why does he need Yaakov to "redeem" him?

ויתכן לומר כי אאע"ה באהבת הבורא ית' היה משתוקק להשרף ע"ד כבוד שמו.

It may be said that Avraham Avinu, in his love of the Creator, may He be blessed, yearned to be burned for the sake of the honor of His Name.

Out of his overwhelming love for Hashem, Avraham actually longed to be consumed in the fiery furnace as a kiddush Hashem.

והי' לו מזה יותר תענוג מהיותו ניצל.

And he derived from this more pleasure than from being saved.

Giving his life to sanctify Hashem's Name would have brought Avraham greater delight than mere survival.

ואין זה חידוש כאשר חכמים הגידו יפה שעה א' בתשובה ומעש"ט בעוה"ז מכל חיי עוה"ב ויפה כו' מכל חיי עוה"ז.

And this is no novelty, as Chazal taught: "One hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world is more beautiful than all the life of the World to Come, and beautiful [is one hour of spiritual bliss in the World to Come] more than all the life of this world" (Avos 4:17).

It is no surprise that Avraham preferred self-sacrifice, since Chazal already taught that a single hour of avodah in this world surpasses all of Olam Haba — the opportunity to serve Hashem is supremely precious.

רק החומר מעכב.

Only the physical matter [of the body] holds [a person] back.

What normally prevents a person from such total devotion is the pull of the physical body.

אבל אברהם שנאמר עליו אברהם אוהבי.

But Avraham, about whom it is said, "Avraham, who loves Me" (Yeshayahu 41:8).

Avraham, called Hashem's lover, had so refined his physical self that it no longer held him back.

בלי ספק הי' משתוקק לזה יותר מכל ימי היותו על האדמה.

Without doubt he yearned for this [self-sacrifice] more than for all his days upon the earth.

His love was so complete that he desired to die for Hashem more than he desired all his years of life.

רק כדי שיבוא ממנו יעקב בעבור זה עצמו הי' רצון אאע"ה ג"כ להנצל וזה לבית יעקב אשר פדה כו':

Only because Yaakov was to come forth from him — for this very reason it was also Avraham Avinu's will to be saved; and this is [the meaning of] "the house of Yaakov, who redeemed [Avraham]."

The only reason Avraham was willing to be saved at all was so that Yaakov would descend from him; thus it was Yaakov's future existence that "redeemed" Avraham from the fire — for Avraham's own sake he would gladly have died.

Summary: Avraham Avinu, the embodiment of love for Hashem, actually longed to be consumed in the furnace as a kiddush Hashem, finding more delight in self-sacrifice than in survival. The only reason he consented to be saved was so that Yaakov would issue from him — and this is why the verse says "the house of Yaakov redeemed Avraham": Yaakov's future was the true cause of his rescue.