Just as he did with Job—who is frequently compared to Abraham for more than one reason—Satan used gossip to distort and embellish history. On his return from an inspection tour on earth, he handed his report to the Almighty while telling Him his impressions. Thus he came to his surprise visit with Abraham, who was celebrating the birth of his beloved son Isaac. Rejoicing, sumptuous meals, public festivities, Satan did not spare the superlatives, as usual. And do You know, said he perfidiously, do You know that Your faithful servant Abraham has forgotten You—You? Yes indeed, his good fortune has gone to his head; he forgot to set aside an offering for You. He thought only of his joy, as though it did not come from You; he fed all his guests, yet he neglected to offer You the youngest of his sheep, if only as a modest token of his gratitude. God was not convinced. He answered: No, no, you’re wrong to suspect My faithful Abraham; he is devoted to Me, he loves Me, he would give Me all that he possesses—he would give me his son were I to ask him. Really? said Satan. Are You sure? I’m not. And God was provoked and felt compelled to accept the challenge. The rest can be found in Scripture.

The Biblical narrative is of exemplary purity of line, sobriety and terseness. Not one superfluous word, not one useless gesture. The imagery is striking, the language austere, the dialogue so incisive, it leaves one with a knot in one’s throat.

. . . And, some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test. He said to him: Abraham. And he answered: Here I am. And He said: Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights which I will point out to you.

This time Abraham did not answer: Here I am; he did not answer at all. He went home, lay down and fell asleep. The next morning he rose, awakened his son and two of his servants, and started out on his journey. At the end of three days—at the end of a silence that lasted three days—he saw the appointed place in the distance. He halted, and instructed the servants: You stay here with the ass. The boy and I will go up there; we will worship and we will return to you.

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to his son, Isaac. He himself took the firestone and the knife; and the two walked away together.

The last sentence gives us the key: one went to face death, the other to give it, but they went together; still close to one another though everything already separated them. God was waiting for them and they were going toward Him together. But then Isaac, who until that moment had not opened his mouth, turned to his father and uttered a single word: Father. And for the second time Abraham answered: Here I am. Was it because of the silence that followed this painfully hushed affirmation? Isaac began to feel uneasy; he wanted to be reassured or at least understand.