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And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  Genesis 22:1-2

One of the more intriguing stories in all the Torah is the story of Abraham's temptation at Mount Moriah.  Why would haShem require a human sacrifice, something that Torah strictly forbids?  Why does haShem require our father Abraham to travel to Mount Moriah, the future site of the Holy Temple and most likely the very rock on which the altar stood? And why does He call Isaac "thine only son" since Isaac was neither an only child or the firstborn?  

The Sages have long struggled over this story.  For instance, the Mishnah goes through strained machinations to explain G-d's reference to Isaac as an only son.  It turns this simple verse into a complicated argument between Abraham and G-d, where G-d has to tell father Abraham three times and in three different ways that He wants him to take Isaac and not Ishmael.  The problem is that the scripture records Ishmael as already being driven out of Abraham's camp.  Later the sages tried to interpret the two young men who accompanied them to Moriah as Eleazer (the servant) and Ishmael who they claim was visiting Abraham.  And all of this is to get away from the dilemma posed by haShem's statement that Isaac was the only son.

HaShem, Blessed be He, has always had a different view of sonship than man.  Time and time again, G-d exalted the second born son over the firstborn against the wishes or desires of their father.  Abel excelled over Cain, Shem over Japeth, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Judah over Rueben, and so on.  Perhaps haShem is trying to teach us something important?

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  And Abraham said, My son, haElochim will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.  Genesis 22:7-8

Isaac was not a child at this time.  All indications are that he was between 35 and 40 years old and our father Abraham was quite elderly at the time.  So often we consider the faith of Abraham who was willing to obey G-d even to the point of sacrificing his son of the promise, but we forget that Isaac too must have acted in great faith.  He had to be a willing participant in the unfolding drama, so obedient to his father that he was willing to believe that his elderly father was hearing from haShem despite the horror of the commandment.

This then is the same spirit of Messiah that Isaiah 53 tells us of.  A spirit of faith that is willing to submit to haShem's will despite the cost.  It is important to note that the name, which Abraham used in this passage was haElochim, a construct not used elsewhere.  The writers of the Mishnah understood this as Abraham's recognition that haShem was the only true G-d, and that He who had created all things could require all things of His creation, even the life of the son of promise.

Yet this was only a test.  HaShem has never desired human sacrifice, but He who is the King of all the Universe needed to test the heart of our father.  He wanted to see if they would be obedient to His commandment, no matter what the commandment required.  For after they had passed the test, He confirmed once more the Covenant which brought Israel into existence.

It is our belief that this is a foreshadow of the Messiah.  While this view is not expressed by the sages, the parallels can be seen.  Daniel 9 describes how Messiah would be violently slain and Isaiah 53 how he would be "brought as a lamb to the slaughter."  Isaac, the son of laughter was also a promised seed, just as Messiah is.  He also was offered up as Messiah will be.  Yet, haShem in his mercy stayed the slaughter and provided a lamb just as Abraham prophesied.

But is Messiah G-d's son?

I will declare the decree: haShem hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee.  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.  Psalm 2:7-9

Is this a Messianic vision?  David was not given the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession, but his son Messiah shall be so gifted.  Furthermore, it is not David speaking here, but haShem who has sworn.  The sages had no problem with this as a Messianic promise:

"Our Rabbis taught, The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the Messiah, the son of David (May he reveal himself speedily in our days!), 'Ask of me anything, and I will give it to thee', as it is said, I will tell of the decree etc. this day have I begotten thee, ask of me and I will give the nations for thy inheritance"  Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 52a

The prophets and the saints have longed for the days of the Messiah, and great has been their desire towards him, for there will be with him the gathering together of the righteous and the administration of good, and wisdom, and royal righteousness, with the abundance of his uprightness and the spread of his wisdom, and his approach to God, as it is said: The Lord said unto me, Thou art my son, to-day have I begotten thee. Maimonides: Introduction to Sanhedrin, chapter 10

Who then is Messiah?  Like Adam before him he is the progeny of haShem.  A second son who unlike our father Adam will not be rebellious against his Creator but obedient to His commandments even unto the point of death.  For it is in obedience to the commandant that blessing is obtained.  Abraham believed G-d and obeyed.  Despite the long and bitter history of our people, we still reap the blessing of that obedience.  Because of Abraham's obedience we remain the chosen people of G-d.