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In a Jewish Midrash did Satan try to stop Abraham from sacrificing Issac?
Why did Satan try to stop Abraham by turning into a river if God told Abraham to? Isn't that going against God? Is this even a Jewish teaching? :)
"The first direct reference to tashlikh is by Rabbi Jacob Mölin in Sefer Maharil where he explains the minhag ("custom") as a reminder of the binding of Isaac. He recounts a rabbinic midrash about the binding in which Satan, by throwing himself across Abraham's path in the form of a deep stream, endeavored to prevent him from sacrificing Isaac on Mount Moriah. Abraham and Isaac nevertheless plunged into the river up to their necks and prayed for divine aid, whereupon the river disappeared." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashlikh#Maharil
3 Answers
- allonyoavLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
There is a midrash to that effect- but this is an allegorical midrash, not a halachic literal one. As such, you need to understand that the adversary in this instance is the Yetzer Hara, their own internal inclination to do wrong. The feeling of doubt was overwhelming- making it seem that they were drowning- Abraham was looking at sacrificing the son that he loved and on whom he had assumed the future of the people who would worship God would come. Isaac himself was a full grown man- easily able to escape from Abraham. He had to go with, knowing what his fate was to be, what the outcome was. Imagine allowing yourself to be bound on a sacrificial altar by your father.
Their belief in God let them escape their doubt, escape from the doubts and the desire to save what they loved and to disobey. Thus their faith dispelled their doubt- the river drowning them dissapeared.
- kismetLv 71 decade ago
According to the midrash, when Abraham went to take his son Isaac to the i>Akeida, the Satan appeared in the form of a river in order to prevent the performance of the mitzvah. Abraham entered the river undeterred and when the waters reached his neck, he cried out, "Save me, God, for the waters have reached my soul" (Psalms 69:2), whereupon the Satan disappeared. The recital of Tashlich by the riverside is intended to evoke the merit of the Akeida.
- rosendsLv 71 decade ago
there are a number of midrashic points surrounding this event. The adversary told G-d that Abraham's faith did not extend to offering his own son, so the adversary attempted to make it as difficult as possible in order to force Abraham to quit and thus show that he was not really that dedicated to G-d.
The adversary cannot go "against" G-d but plays a role in the testing of people to tempt them to go against the commandments of G-d.