The Rabbis' Gift

Parashat Vayera

The origin of Isaac’s (יִצְחָ֥ק) name is straightforward if a little blasphemous: the laughter of Abraham and Sarah that they might be able to have a child so late in life. Sarah says, “God has brought me laughter (צְחֹ֕ק),” (Genesis 21:6). 

For the Rabbis, this brings some discomfort: embedded in Isaac’s name is implicit doubt in God’s capacity. Even though God is vindicated, every time we hear Isaac’s name, we are in on the joke. 

Unsurprisingly, the Rabbis search for an alternate explanation:

“Abraham called the name of his son…Isaac [יִצְחָ֥ק]” – a portion has emerged [יָצָא חֹק] to the world, a gift has been given to the world.” (Bereshit Rabbah 53:7)

They rewrite this name to tell a story of a gift granted to the world through the birth of Isaac. 

From one angle, I find this interpretation deflating. The Rabbis flatten a rebellious moment into something straightforward. 

Yet, it could land differently. The Rabbis see a moment that brings them discomfort, re-read it, and produce a new vision. Instead of being a moment of alienation between humans and the divine, the Rabbis rewrite Isaac’s name to be about the power of human continuity. Isaac’s name is an affirmation of the Jewish story and ensures an end to Abraham and Sarah’s theological loneliness. The tradition that they began will be continued into the future. 

Right now, many of us are experiencing a cavernous divide between ourselves and the divine. That’s okay. But we should look to Isaac’s name: even when we doubt during moments of grief, “a gift has been given to the world,” the words of our ancestors that we can turn over and over, endlessly finding something new.