At the end of this week's parashah (parashah) appears a famous story from the Torah: the sacrifice of Isaac. In short, after nine different tests, God tests Abraham's faithfulness with a tenth and final test: offering his only son with Sarah (whom they had miraculously conceived when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90) to God on an altar.
Interestingly, it is one of the most detailed accounts in the entire Torah, because of the way in which every step of the process is taken into account, to highlight the merit of Avraham and Itzjak (since the latter was 36 years old at the time this happened and, moreover, knew perfectly well what was going on).
Some time ago, while talking to a Morá - teacher - about this topic, she told me that her students did not know this story, not because they had not studied it, but because they deliberately left it out, given its "complexity".
On one hand, one could agree with him, arguing that the idea of a father deciding to sacrifice his son to God is "complex." However, each of the stories in the Torah is a lesson for every human being, from the youngest (in age or knowledge) to the oldest.
Obviously, it's not necessary to explain every detail to children who are too young to understand, but that doesn't mean you should skip an entire story! Especially when it's a story that was included daily in the morning prayer to remind God of Abraham's merit and to help us, his descendants, benefit from that merit.
Now, what is one of the biggest problems with skipping over this story? One of its most powerful lessons is the idea of finding joy in observing each of the precepts, even those that go against reason and (seemingly) against one's own benefit. From an intellectual perspective, Abraham gained nothing by killing his only son. And when God asked him to, Abraham "rose early in the morning," ready and eager to fulfill the Divine command. He didn't hesitate, he didn't take his time to enjoy a few more minutes with his son, but rather, he quickly arranged everything to carry out God's request.
Do we observe the mitzvot that bring us benefits in the World to Come, and even in this world in some cases, in the same way that Abraham did? Do we put the same enthusiasm, energy, and joy into giving tzedakah as we do into buying a new car?
The story of the sacrifice of Isaac has issues that are difficult to explain, but the teachings it contains are so numerous and fundamental that they conceal its complexity and make it a basic and primary story for every Jew.