Isaac and Yom Kippur

“Yom Kippur shall be a holy convocation to you . . .  .”

On this day the shofar is sounded, a sober reminder of the ram that was caught in the thicket and slaughtered instead of Isaac. It was Isaac who inquired of his father Abraham, when ascending the mount shouldering the wood for the offering: “Where is the sheep offering?”

Abraham’s response may fairly be translated, “God will provide Himself a lamb offering.” This curious response, coupled with Abraham’s prior direction to his servants saying, “wait here [at the bottom of the mount] and “we will worship and we will return to you,” gave a hint of what actually was to transpire. Apparently, Abraham, though intending to sacrifice his son as instructed by God, possessed the faith to believe that God would raise his son, Isaac, from the dead.

Isaac was not raised from the dead; rather, he was spared from sacrifice in the first place, spared to carry out the Messianic lineage that would eventually produce Yeshua, our savior. Yeshua’s sacrifice mirrors in some small part the sacrifice of ram in the passage, as He substitutes Himself to take the punishment of our sins. But he also does what Isaac did not—dying and being raised from the dead. Abraham says, “God will provide Himself a lamb offering,” and in fact, God did provide Himself, such that that He so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, Yeshua, the Lamb of God, as the substitutionary offering. In a sense we are all Isaac, who were spared by God’s atoning sacrifice.

Therefore, we have the utmost confidence that we will be sealed in the Book of Life, clothed in righteousness by Yeshua’s selfless sacrifice. Yom Kippur may become a solemn holiday wherein we reflect on the nature of our sins, plead with God for forgiveness, and give thanks for our security in Messiah Yeshua.

This article was written by MJTI CFO Rabbi Elliot Klayman. For more by Rabbi Klayman, read his article Yeshua: The Sukkah of God, his poem “This Rosh Hashanah Day of Old,” or his thoughts on whether COVID-19 is a sign of the end times.

Explore our blog:

A Plea for Humanity

The war in Ukraine has reached the two month mark. Rabbi Klayman reflects on the reasons why we must not let it become the “new normal.”

When Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place…

It is incredible how quickly we can go from the mountaintop of joy to the swampy marshland of depression! At such times we must step out in faith, trusting that HaShem will honor his word, his promise.

A Reflection on Divine Authority

On the one hand, knowing that we have a faithful God is incredibly reassuring! On the other hand, accepting His authority over our lives is incredibly difficult. Rabbi Michael Hillel shares his insights from a recent Bible study on Luke 20:1-8 and how Yeshua’s authority manifests across several Biblical narratives.

The Story Behind the Posner Menorah

You may have seen the iconic photo of a Hanukkah menorah defiantly in the window across from a Nazi flag. For the Hanukkah edition of This Month in Jewish History, Dr. Stan Meyer shares the story behind the photo and how it still touches our lives today.

Light Over Might

Hanukkah is about fighting for political autonomy and religious freedom… right? With our contemporary values, it can actually be difficult to examine the Hanukkah narrative to understand some of the more challenging elements. Rabbi Paul Saal takes a look.

Vayeshev: The Winding Road to Messiah

There are many injustices in the story of Joseph, from his father’s favoritism provoking his brothers’ violent jealousy to the cupbearer forgetting Joseph in prison. How are we supposed to feel in the face of disappointment? Rabbi Elliot Klayman breaks down this week’s parasha.

Favor Elevates Its Giver

After the drama of Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright and blessing—and then absconding to Paddan-aram for 20 years—this week’s parasha sees Jacob having to reunite with his estranged brother. What can this surprising moment of reconciliation show us about our relationships today?

Vayeitzei: The Continuing Journey

The patriarchal narrative continues in this week’s parasha, Vayeitzei (Genesis 28:10 – 32:3). We find Jacob on his way tp Haran, seemingly in an attempt to get away from his justifiably-angry elder twin brother Esau, after Jacob had stolen Esau's blessing from their...

Sholem Asch: Introducing Jews to the Rabbi from Nazareth

November, 1880: Sholem Asch, the Jewish author, was born. Dr. Stan Meyer takes a look at his life and the impact he still has on our world today.

The Path Behind and the Road Ahead: A New Journey

The High Holidays are behind us for another year. We have travelled God’s way in those marathon weeks, and it may be tempting for us to settle back into a comfortable, mindless rhythm until Chanukah starts at the end of November. However, from shofar blowing and...

Pin It on Pinterest