Thursday, November 6, 2014

A Perplexing Medrash


One time a Jew came from a distant city in the US to 770 and asked to see the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He said that he is troubled by a perplexing medrash which bothered him and his father before him and HIS father before him. They had asked numerous gedolim but nobody had given a satisfactory answer. He wanted to go in to see the Rebbe in the hope that he would be able to offer a solution to the problem.

The Medrash says on the pasuk ואיה השה לעולה  - and where is the sheep for an Olah offering? [Yitzchak said this to Avraham before the Akeidah]. On this the Medrash comments אדם דואג על איבוד דמיו ואינו דואג על איבוד ימיו - A man worries about his loss of blood [or "money"] but not about his loss of life. What does this MEAN?? 

He was allowed into the Rebbe and when he exited, he related the following with great emotion, almost to the point of tears. "He gave an answer on the spot which was complete genius but also very simple. Yitzchak was a bechor which made him a Korban Bechor that requires one offering of blood on the foundation of the mizbeach. On the other hand, he was also an Olah offering which requires two blood offerings [that split on the corner so it is really four]. So how is he to be brought as a korban when we don't know how to spill the blood afterwards on the mizbeach. That is what the medrash means - איה השה לעולה - How can he I brought as an Olah when I am also a Bechor?? On this the medrash comments - אדם דואג על איבוד דמיו ואינו דואג על איבוד ימיו , Man worries about the loss of his blood, meaning Yitzchak was worried about how to spill the blood, ואינו דואג על איבוד ימיו - but he wasn't worried about losing his life!!

Pil-ei Pla-os!:-):-)