Page:Philip Birnbaum - ha-Siddur ha-Shalem (The Daily Prayer Book,1949).pdf/47

22 come back to you.” So Abraham took the wood for the burnt-offering and laid it on his son Isaac, while he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and the two of them went off together.

Then Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said: “My father”; and he answered: “Here I am, my son.” And he said: “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” Abraham answered: “God will provide himself with the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.” So the two of them went on together. They came to the place of which God had told him, and Abraham built the altar there, arranged the wood, bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham put out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from the heavens: “Abraham, Abraham,” and he answered: “Here I am.” He said: “Do not lay your hand on the boy, and do nothing to him; for I know now that you revere God, seeing that you have not refused me your son, your only son.” Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; so Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt-offering instead of his son. Abraham called the name of that place Adonai-yireh, as it is said to this day: “The mount where the Lord reveals himself.”

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from the heavens, and said: “By myself I swear,” says the Lord, “that since you have done this, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and will surely make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky or as the sands on the seashore; your descendants shall possess the cities of their enemies, and through your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed—because you have obeyed my voice.” Abraham then returned to his servants, and they started together for Beersheba, for Abraham dwelt in Beersheba.

Master of the world! May it be thy will, Lord our God and