Vayeira 22:3 · unit 3

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 22:3

The Complete Passuk

וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אַבְרָהָ֜ם בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַֽיַּחֲבֹשׁ֙ אֶת־חֲמֹר֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י נְעָרָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ וַיְבַקַּע֙ עֲצֵ֣י עֹלָ֔ה וַיָּ֣קׇם וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָֽמַר־ל֥וֹ הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

And Avraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Yitzchak his son, and he split the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin 105b.

TT lemma: ויחבש את חמורו.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 105b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
ויחבש את חמורו. תני משום רבי שמעון בן אלעזר, אהבה מבטלת שורה של גדולה, מנלן, מאברהם דכתיב ויחבש את חמורו.

English: “And he saddled his donkey.” It was taught in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar: Love nullifies the protocol of greatness. From where do we know this? From Avraham, as it is written, “And he saddled his donkey.”

On the daf / in context: A man of Avraham’s stature would normally have servants saddle the animal; his personal performance of the task shows that love of the mitzvah overrides rank.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. An action beneath one’s station is explained by the force of love.

What Is Learned

Love of the commandment nullifies the ordinary protocol of rank; Avraham himself saddled the donkey for the journey of the Akeidah.