Special Prayer

The “Akeidat Yitzchak,” or the “Binding of Isaac,” is considered one of the greatest acts of faith in Jewish History. Avraham Avinu passed his greatest test by prepared to offer his beloved son on the altar.

This incident is considered so special that it is included in the introduction to our morning prayers, every day. The entire chapter is included, with a short request that we make following this.

We ask Hashem to: “Remember the covenant that he made with our forefathers. And just as Avraham Avinu overcame his feelings of mercy towards his special son, and was willing to slaughter him in order to fulfill Your will, so You shall overcome Your anger towards us, and Your mercy shall prevail. And you shall treat us beyond the letter of the law and act with your attribute of kindness and mercy. And You shall remember Your covenant with Yakov, Yitzchak, and Avraham.”

This short prayer is an indication of the merits that our Father Abraham acquired for his descendants by his willingness to fulfill G-d’s will, no matter how illogical or unfair that it seemed.

The manner in which he acted, contributed a great deal towards acquiring these merits. We are meant to be inspired each day to learn from Avraham and show unshakable faith in Hashem just as he did, as we are confronted with our own challenges and tests.