The Akeidah's enduring power for all generations

בפרשת העקידה במדרש נתת ליראיך נס להתנוסס כו'.

In the portion of the Akeidah, in the Midrash: "You have given to those who fear You a banner (nes) to be raised aloft (le-hisnoses), etc." (Tehillim 60:6).

The Sefas Emes opens the Akeidah with the Midrash on the posuk "You have given those who fear You a nes" — a word he will read in its double sense of "miracle/test" and "banner."

דיש נסיון ונס לשעה ויש לדורות לעשות פירות וזהו להתנוסס דכתיב יען אשר עשית כו' ברך אברכך כו'.

For there is a test (nisayon) and a miracle (nes) that is for the moment, and there is one that is for the generations, to bear fruit — and this is "le-hisnoses (to be raised as a banner)," as it is written "because you have done (this thing), etc., I will surely bless you, etc." (Bereishis 22:16-17).

A nisayon can have a merely momentary effect, or it can be enduring — "bearing fruit" for all generations. The Akeidah was of the lasting kind, "le-hisnoses," as Hashem's response promised eternal blessing "because you have done this thing."

ויתכן לפרש כי אין זה נתינת שכר בלבד רק שמעשה זו היה הכנה שיוכלו בנ"י לתקן הכל עד סוף הדורות כי כל הנסיונות של אאע"ה היו הכנה לשנות כל הטבע כמ"ש במשנה עשרה נסיונות כו'.

And one may explain that this is not merely the giving of reward, but that this act was a preparation enabling Bnei Yisrael to rectify everything until the end of the generations — for all the trials of Avraham Avinu were a preparation to change all of nature, as it says in the Mishnah, "ten trials (nisyonos), etc." (Avos 5:3).

The blessing is not just a prize but a lasting capacity: through the Akeidah and his ten nisyonos, Avraham laid the groundwork that empowers Bnei Yisrael to rectify the world throughout history — his trials were a "preparation to change all of nature."

אח"כ עשרה נסים.

Afterward, ten miracles (nisim).

Corresponding to Avraham's ten nisyonos, the Mishnah lists ten nisim done for Israel later — Avraham's trials in nature were the root from which those open miracles flowed.

ועתה נתברר והוכן דרך עד סוף הדורות.

And now a path was clarified and prepared until the end of the generations.

Through Avraham's avodah a permanent pathway was opened and made ready, available to his descendants for all time.

לכן כתבו חז"ל ויקח המאכלת שישראל אוכלין מתן שכרה.

Therefore Chazal wrote on "and he took the knife (ma'acheles)" that Yisrael "eat (ochlin)" its reward.

Chazal connect "ma'acheles" (knife) with the root of "achilah" (eating), teaching that Bnei Yisrael "eat," i.e., continually draw sustenance from, the reward of the Akeidah — its merit feeds them across the generations.

והיינו שכל עבודת בנ"י שזה עיקר שכרן של מצות כמ"ש שכר מצוה מצוה (והכל) [הכל] בכח מעשיהן של האבות דכתיב למען אשר יצוה בניו וביתו כו'.

That is, all the avodah of Bnei Yisrael — for this is the essential reward of the mitzvos, as it is said "the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah" (Avos 4:2) — all of it is by the power of the deeds of the Avos, as it is written, "so that he will command his children and his household, etc." (Bereishis 18:19).

The true "reward" of a mitzvah is the ability to do further mitzvos — and the whole of Israel's ongoing avodah draws its power from the deeds of the Avos. Avraham was chosen precisely "so that he will command his children" — his merit empowers his descendants' service.

ולא מצינו שהי' מצוה בעת פטירתו איזה צואה.

And we do not find that he commanded any specific charge (tzava'ah) at the time of his passing.

The Sefas Emes notes a difficulty: although the Torah says Avraham would "command his children," we find no record of any deathbed instruction he gave them.

אך הפירוש שבכל מעשה האבות נשתתפו עם כל הדורות העתידין לעמוד מהם ולכן נקראו אבות שלא הי' שום עובדא לעצמותם רק בשם כל ישראל כמו שאנו עושין בשם כל ישראל.

But the explanation is that in every deed of the Avos they made all the future generations destined to descend from them partners — and therefore they are called "Avos (fathers)," for not a single act of theirs was for themselves alone, but in the name of all Yisrael, just as we act "in the name of all Yisrael."

The "commanding" was not a verbal will but something built into every act: the Avos performed each deed on behalf of all their descendants, making the generations partners. This is the very meaning of "Avos" — none of their actions was for themselves alone; each was done in the name of all Yisrael.

ומצד זה נוכל אנחנו להתקשר במעשה אבות מפני שהם כללו אותנו במעשיהם וצוותא הוא לשון התקשרות אשר יצוה כו' בכל מעשה שעושה כנ"ל.

And on this account we are able to bind ourselves to the deeds of the Avos, because they included us in their deeds — and "tzavsa (joining)" is an expression of connection: "(so that) he will command (yetzaveh), etc." in every deed that he does, as stated above.

Because the Avos included us in their actions, we can attach ourselves to those deeds. The Sefas Emes reads "yetzaveh" (he will command) in light of "tzavsa" (joining/togetherness) — Avraham's "commanding" was really a binding-together, weaving his descendants into every act he performed.

שוב מצאתי כדברים האלה בס' קדושת לוי ע"ש:

Afterward I found like these words in the sefer Kedushas Levi; see there.

The Sefas Emes notes that he subsequently found a similar idea expressed in the Kedushas Levi (of Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev), and refers the reader there.

Summary: A nisayon can leave only a momentary effect or it can endure "to bear fruit" for all generations; the Akeidah was of the lasting kind. Avraham's ten trials were a preparation to change the very order of nature, opening a path of rectification that Bnei Yisrael draw upon throughout history — they "eat" the reward of the Akeidah, since the essential reward of a mitzvah is the power to do further mitzvos. Though Avraham left no explicit deathbed charge, his "commanding his children" was built into every deed: the Avos acted not for themselves but in the name of all Yisrael, making their descendants partners. Through this we can bind ourselves to the deeds of the Avos, for "yetzaveh" itself denotes a joining-together.