Rising Early to Sacrifice

(ג) וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת־חֲמֹרוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת־שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ וְאֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיְבַקַּע עֲצֵי עֹלָה וַיָּקׇם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָמַר־לוֹ הָאֱ-לֹהים׃

Genesis 22:3

(3) Abraham arose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and brought two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him.

The term "arose early in the morning" appears occasionally in the Bible, coinciding with some of the Bible's most significant events (see supplemental sheet):

Hagar and Ishmael are banished (we read this yesterday, Genesis 21:14)
Jacob's Ladder (Genesis 28:16-18)
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:4)
David and Goliath (I Samuel 17:20)

So, what is the significance of rising early in the morning? What does this tell us about the characters who awake early?

רש"י על בראשית כ״ב:ג׳:א׳

וישכם. נִזְדָּרֵז לַמִּצְוָה (פסחים ד'):

Rashi on Genesis 22:3:1

וישכם AND HE ROSE EARLY — He was zealous to fulfill the command (Pesachim 4a)

Rashi's comment refers to a passage from the Babylonian Talmud, which states that the most righteous individuals are eager to obey the mitzvot, and thus arise early to do so.
But why would Avraham be so eager to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac?
What does this tell us about Avraham? And, what does this tell us about the concept of sacrifice?

בראשית כ״ב:י׳-י״ח

(י) וַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְרָהָם אֶת־יָדוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת לִשְׁחֹ֖ט אֶת־בְּנוֹ׃ (יא) וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ ה' מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם ׀ אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי׃ (יב) וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־תִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדְךָ֙ אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וְאַל־תַּ֥עַשׂ ל֖וֹ מְא֑וּמָה כִּ֣י ׀ עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־יְרֵ֤א אֱלֹקִים֙ אַ֔תָּה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֛כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִידְךָ֖ מִמֶּנִּי׃ [...] (יח) וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ בְּקֹלִי׃

Genesis 22:10-18

(10) Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. (11) Then a messenger of ה' called to him from heaven: “Avraham! Avraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” (12) And the messenger said, “Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me.” [...] (18) All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have heeded My command.”

It is apparent that God did not actually want Avraham to sacrifice Isaac. So what was the point of the test?
Was God evaluating what Avraham was willing to lose? Or, what Avraham was willing to give? What is the difference?

משנה מנחות י״ג:י״א

נֶאֱמַר בְּעוֹלַת הַבְּהֵמָה "אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ" (ויקרא א), וּבְעוֹלַת הָעוֹף "אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ" (שם), וּבַמִּנְחָה "אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ" (שם ב), לְלַמֵּד, שֶׁאֶחָד הַמַּרְבֶּה וְאֶחָד הַמַּמְעִיט, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּכַוֵּן אָדָם אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ לַשָּׁמָיִם:

Mishnah Menachot 13:11

Torah states regarding animal sacrifices, “[...] an aroma pleasing to God” (Leviticus 1:9); and regarding bird sacrifices, “[...] an aroma pleasing to God” (ibid, 1:17), and regarding to meal sacrifices: “[...] an aroma pleasing to God” (ibid, 2:2). This teaches us that both substantial and meager offerings have equal merit, provided that one directs her/his heart toward Heaven.

ויקרא כ״ב:כ׳

כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ מוּם לֹא תַקְרִיבוּ כִּי־לֹא לְרָצוֹן יִהְיֶה לָכֶם׃

Leviticus 22:20

You shall not offer any that has a defect, for it will not be in your favor.

Taking these two sources together, we come to understand that our sacrifices are meant to be directed outward, toward God.
In Mishnah Menachot, the phrase "שֶׁיְּכַוֵּן אָדָם אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ לַשָּׁמָיִם" demonstrates that what or how much we give matters less than the intention behind our giving.
With this in mind, take a look at the bolded words in the Leviticus verse: "כִּי־לֹא לְרָצוֹן יִהְיֶה לָכֶם" is typically interpreted as "God will not favor you if your sacrifice has any defect." But it could also be loosely interpreted as "because it won't be your favored sacrifice". Perhaps we would give in to the temptation to give up – literally, give up – a blemished sacrifice, averse to losing something more precious to us. Herein lies one major difference between giving and losing.

As we look ahead to Yom Kippur, the vast majority of us dread fasting. Giving up food and water is tremendously difficult; even harder is refraining from toothpaste and perfume. It stinks, literally. And we think of this as sacrifice, afflicting ourselves by losing certain comforts for 25 hours.
But instead of losing, what are we giving?
Is all this sacrifice and self-affliction the point? What does God really want from us?

ישעיהו נ״ח:א׳-ח׳

קְרָא בְגָרוֹן אַל־תַּחְשֹׂךְ,

כַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר הָרֵם קוֹלֶךָ,

וְהַגֵּ֤ד לְעַמִּי֙ פִּשְׁעָ֔ם וּלְבֵ֥ית יַעֲקֹ֖ב חַטֹּאתָם׃

וְאוֹתִי יוֹם יוֹם יִדְרֹשׁוּן וְדַעַת דְּרָכַי יֶחְפָּצוּן כְּגוֹי אֲשֶׁר־צְדָקָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפַּט אֱ-לֹהָיו לֹא עָזָב יִשְׁאָלוּנִי מִשְׁפְּטֵי־צֶ֔דֶק

קִרְבַ֥ת אֱ-לֹהִים יֶחְפָּצוּן׃

לָמָּה צַּמְנוּ וְלֹא רָאִיתָ עִנִּינוּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ וְלֹא תֵדָע?

הֵן בְּיוֹם צֹֽמְכֶם תִּמְצְאוּ־חֵפֶץ וְכׇל־עַצְּבֵיכֶם תִּנְגֹּשׂוּ׃ הֵן לְרִיב וּמַצָּה תָּצוּמוּ וּלְהַכּוֹת בְּאֶגְרֹף רֶשַׁע לֹֽא־תָצוּמוּ כַיּוֹם לְהַשְׁמִיעַ בַּמָּרוֹם קוֹלְכֶֽם׃

הֲכָזֶה יִהְיֶה צוֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ?

יוֹם עַנּוֹת אָדָם נַפְשׁוֹ הֲלָכֹף כְּאַגְמֹן רֹאשׁוֹ וְשַׂק וָאֵפֶר יַצִּיעַ

הֲלָזֶה תִּקְרָא־צוֹם וְיוֹם רָצוֹן לַה'׃

הֲלוֹא זֶה צוֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ

פַּתֵּחַ חַרְצֻבּוֹת רֶשַׁע,

הַתֵּר אֲגֻדּוֹת מוֹטָה,

וְשַׁלַּח רְצוּצִים חׇפְשִׁים,

וְכׇל־מוֹטָה תְּנַתֵּקוּ׃

הֲלוֹא פָרֹס לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ

וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת

כִּי־תִרְאֶה עָרֹם וְכִסִּיתוֹ

וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ לֹא תִתְעַלָּם׃

אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ

וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ מְהֵרָה תִצְמָח

וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶ֔ךָ

כְּבוֹד ה' יַאַסְפֶךָ׃

Isaiah 58:1-8

Cry with full throat, without restraint;
Raise your voice like a ram’s horn!
Declare to My people their transgression,
To the House of Jacob their sin.

And daily they seek me, eager to learn My ways.
As if they were a people who act righteously,
Who haven't forsaken the laws of their God,
They ask Me for the right way,
They are eager for the nearness of God:

“Why, when we fasted, did You not see?
When we starved our bodies, did You pay no heed?”

Because on your fast day, you see to your business, and oppress all your laborers! Because you fast in strife and contention,
And you strike with a wicked fist!
Your fasting today is not such
As to make your voice heard on high.

Is such the fast I desire,
A day for people to starve their bodies?
Is it bowing the head like a bulrush
And lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call that a fast,
A day when GOD is favorable?

No, this is the fast I desire:
To unlock fetters of wickedness,
And untie the cords of the yoke
To let the oppressed go free;
To break off every yoke.

It is to share your bread with the hungry,
And to take the wretched poor into your home;
When you see the naked, to clothe them,
And not to ignore your own kin.

Then shall your light burst through like the dawn
And your healing spring up quickly;
Your righteousness shall march before you,
The Glory of GOD shall be your rear guard.

Jacob Schatz