Our God and God of our fathers,

remember us favorably before You

and be mindful of us for

deliverance and compassion

from the eternal high heavens.

Remember in our behalf, Adonoy, our God:

the love of our ancestors,

Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants;

the covenant, the kindness,

and the oath which You swore

to our father Abraham on Mount Moriah,

and the binding

of Isaac, his son

on the altar,

as it is written in Your Torah.³⁷

footnotes: ³⁷ Genesis 22:1-19:

After these events,³⁸

footnotes: ³⁸ These events refer to the previous nine tests by which God tested Abraham. This was to be the tenth and the most difficult test of all.—Ha’amek Dovor

God tested Abraham

and said to him, “Abraham!”

and he [Abraham] said, “Here I am.”

He said, “Please, take your son,

your only one,³⁹

footnotes: ³⁹ Isaac was Abraham’s only son by Sarah.

whom you love—Isaac—

and go to the land of Moriah,

and bring him up as a burnt-offering

on one of the mountains

which I will designate to you.

Abraham awoke early in the morning,

saddled his donkey,

and took his two attendants⁴⁰ with him,

footnotes: ⁴⁰ Ishmael and Eliezer. Rashi

and also his son Isaac.

He split the wood of the burnt-offering,

and rose up, and went to the place

that God had designated to him.

On the third day,

Abraham lifted his eyes

and saw the place from afar.

Abraham said to his attendants,

“You stay here with the donkey,

and I and the boy will go to that place.

We will prostrate ourselves [in worship]

and return⁴¹ to you.”

footnotes: ⁴¹ Abraham prophesied that both of them would return.—Rashi

And Abraham took

the wood of the burnt-offering

and placed it on his son Isaac.

In his hand he took

the fire and the knife,⁴²

footnotes: ⁴² The Hebrew word is “maacheles” (root: אכל = to eat) which means that it renders meat fit for eating through slaughtering the animal. Another interpretation is: his knife is called maacheles because we still enjoy (eat) the reward of Abraham’s virtue when he agreed to use it to slaughter his son.— Rashi

and they both went together.

Isaac spoke to Abraham his father

and said, “Father,”

and he said, “Here I am my son.”

He said, “Here are the fire and the wood,

but where is the lamb for the burnt-offering?”

Abraham said,

“God Himself will show the lamb

for a burnt offering, my son.”

And the two of them went together.⁴³

footnotes: ⁴³ Although Isaac understood that he was going to be slaughtered, “They went together”—with like hearts.—Rashi

They came to the place

that God had designated to him,

and Abraham built the⁴⁴ altar there,

footnotes: ⁴⁴ The Torah says that he built “the” altar not just “an” altar, to indicate that Abraham rebuilt the same altar which was originally built by Adam and used by Cain, Abel and by Noah.—Targum Yonoson ben Uziel

and arranged the wood,

and bound his son Isaac,

and placed him on the altar,

on top of the wood.

Abraham reached out his hand

and took the knife

to slaughter his son.

An angel of Adonoy called to him

from heaven

and said, “Abraham! Abraham!”

and he said, “Here I am.”

He [God] said,

“Do not harm the boy,

nor do anything to him;

for now I know

that you are one who fears God

and have not withheld your son,

your only one, from Me.”

Abraham raised his eyes

and beheld a ram⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁵ Tradition tells us that this ram was prepared for this purpose from the time of creation. Rashi (from Maseches Avos 5:6)

after it had been caught in the thicket

by its horns;

and Abraham went and took the ram,

and brought it up as a burnt-offering

instead of his son.

Abraham called

the name of that place,

“Adonoy will see”;⁴⁶

footnotes: ⁴⁶ The Midrash interprets the following: “God will see the binding of Isaac and through its merit He will pardon Israel every year and rescue them from trouble. It will thus be said, “On this day,” by all generations that the ashes of Isaac are seen by God and serve as our atonement.—Rashi

as it is said [to] this day

“On Adonoy's mountain, He will be seen.”

An angel of Adonoy called to Abraham

a second time from heaven, and said,

“‘I have sworn by Myself,' declares Adonoy,

‘that because you performed

this deed,

and did not withhold

your only son,

I will greatly bless you

and make your descendants as numerous⁴⁷

footnotes: ⁴⁷ If these blessings were intended to increase the population of Abraham’s descendants, it was superfluous, since God had previously blessed him for that purpose. God here blessed the descendants of Abraham with the nobility of spirit and courage to fulfill the command to sanctify God even when self-sacrifice is required. Only the nation of Israel, Abraham’s children, were commanded to fulfill this mitzvoh, because of the legacy we inherited from him.—Ha’amek Dovor.

as the stars of the sky

and like the sand on the seashore,

and your descendants will inherit

the gate of their enemies.

Through your children, will be blessed

all the nations of the world,

because you heeded My voice.'”

Abraham returned to his attendants,

and they rose and went together

to Beer Sheva,

and Abraham dwelt in Beer Sheva.