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.¹

footnotes: ¹ Genesis 22:1-19.

After these events,²

footnotes: ² 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,³

footnotes: ³ 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 attendants⁴ with him,

footnotes: ⁴ 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 return⁵ to you."

footnotes: ⁵ Abraham unwittingly 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,⁶ (root: אכל = to eat) which means that it renders meat fit for eating through slaughtering the animal. Another interpretation is: his knife is called ma’achelesbecause we still enjoy (eat) the reward of Abraham’s virtue when he agreed to use it to slaughter his son.—Rashi

footnotes: ⁶ The Hebrew word is ma’acheles

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.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ 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 the⁸ altar there,

footnotes: ⁸ 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 ram⁹

footnotes: ⁹ Tradition tells us that this ram was prepared for this purpose from the time of creation. Rashi (in 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;¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ 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 numerous¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ 11 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.

Master of the Universe!

just as our father, Abraham suppressed

his compassion

to do Your will with his whole heart,

so may your compassion suppress

your anger against us;

and may your compassion prevail

over your [other] attributes.¹²

footnotes: ¹² This refers to God’s attribute of stern justice.

Act with us Adonoy, our God,

kindly and with compassion.

In your great goodness

turn away your fierce anger

from your people, and from your city,

from your land

and from your territorial heritage.

Fulfill for us, Adonoy, our God,

the promise you made in your Torah,

through your servant, Moses,

as it says,

I will recall my covenant with Jacob,

also my covenant with Isaac,

and also my covenant with Abraham

will I recall;

and I will recall the land.¹³

footnotes: ¹³ Leviticus 26:42.

And it is said: "And even then

when they are in the land of their enemies

I will not abhor them

nor sparn them to destroy them—

to annul my covenant with them;

for I am Adonoy, their God."¹⁴

footnotes: ¹⁴ Leviticus 26:44.

And it is said:

And I will recall for them

the covenant with their ancestors

whom I took out

from the land of Egypt

before the eyes of the nations,

to be their God, I am Adonoy.¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ Leviticus 26:45.

And it is said:

"And Adonoy, Your God, will return

your exiles and have compassion upon you,

and will again gather you

from [among] all the nations

where Adonoy, your God, has scattered you.

Even if your dispersed

will be scattered to the ends of the world,

from there

Adonoy, your God, will gather you,

and from there He will fetch you.

And it is said:

And Adonoy, your God will bring you

into the land your forefathers inherited.

And you will inherit it;

And He will do good to you

and multiply you

more than your forefathers.¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ Deuteronomy 30:3-5.

And it is said by Your prophets:

Adonoy, be gracious to us,

[for] we put our hope in You;

be their strength every morning;

also our deliverance in time of distress.¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ Isaiah 33:2.

And it is said:

It is a time of trouble for Jacob,

but he will be delivered from it¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ Jeremiah 30:6.

And it is said:

In all their affliction, He is afflicted,

and the angel of His Presence delivered them;

in His love and in His pity,

He redeemed them,

and bore them and carried them forever.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ Isaiah 63:9.

and it is said:

Who is an Almighty like You,

forbearer of iniquity

and forgiver of transgression

for the remnant of his heritage?

He does not maintain His wrath forever,

for He desires to do kindness.

He will again show us compassion,

He will suppress our iniquities;

And you will cast into the depths of the sea

all their sins.

You will grant truth to Jacob,

kindliness to Abraham

as You swore to our fathers

from the days of old.²⁰

footnotes: ²⁰ Micah 7:18-20.

And it is said:

And I will bring them to My holy moutain;

and make them joyful in My House of Prayer;

their burnt-offerings and sacrifices

will be accepted with favor on My Altar,

for My House

will be called a House of Prayer

for all peoples.²¹

footnotes: ²¹ Isaiah 56:7.