Parashat Vayera has the legendary Akedat Yitzchak in it. The question of what exactly the test of the Akedat Yitzchak was is a big discussion among all the Mefarshim (commentators). I would like to share with you the perspective of the Kotzker Rebbe. He says something very interesting and very meaningful. Abraham Avinu, of course, understands from Hashem’s command that he has to go and bring his son to the Mizbeach, the altar, and bring him as an offering. Now, that goes against everything he believed until then, but he blindly follows what Hashem asks him to do. We can imagine that it would have been a battle inside his own head: “Did I understand correctly? Am I doing the right thing or not?” He does it. They go together. He brings Yitzchak Avinu to the altar. At that point, we could already have said, “Ki ata yadati ki yirei Elohim ata.” At this point I know that you are Yirei Elohim. You fear G-d.
The Pasuk (verse) says that afterward the Malach comes from Hashem. An angel comes and says, “Abraham, Al Tishlach Yadecha El Hana'ar Ve'al Ta'as Lo Me'uma. Do not do anything to that child. We don't do these things. We don't do child sacrifice. That's not what G-d wants from you.” Ki ata yadati ki yirei Elohim ata.
The Kotzker Rebbe says that Hashem, through the Malach, is saying, “Now I know that you are Yirei Shamayim.” What do you mean, “Now I know that you are Yirei Shamayim”? Why, after the Malach tells him to stop, does Abraham Avinu listen and say, “Oh, I don't have to do it. I won't do it”? He's not doing it because, “Oh, I don't have to do it.” No, no. “My Avodat Hashem (service of Hashem) right now was to do it. You tell me not to do it; that means that my Avodat Hashem is to not do it.” As he switches like this, the Malach comes and says, “Now I know that you are Yirei Shamayim,” which means the only motive is to serve G-d. If G-d tells you this, then this. If G-d tells you that, then that. In life, we have to be willing to change our mindsets from one way to another. Smart people study more and change. Not-so-smart people will tell you, “That's what we always did.” Many people wrongly assume that whatever they did was always good. They say, “That's our custom; that's what we do.” What do you mean, “That's what we do”? Abraham Avinu is called Yirei Shamayim only because, says the Kotzker Rebbe, after he thought of doing something and was willing to do the craziest thing on earth, G-d comes and says, “Don't do it.” Abraham says, “Okay, so I won't do it.” He says, “Now I know that you're Yirei Shamayim.” Now I know that you follow HaKadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, Blessed is He). You follow HaKadosh Baruch Hu not because of something personal. It's all about HaKadosh Baruch Hu telling you something. You hear a new idea. We study a new halakha (Jewish law); we study something new, something novel. We should be willing to change and adjust ourselves and our lifestyles to the new things. And if it contradicts what we did until now, so be it. As long as it's the right thing, even if it's a new concept that we didn't know, a new halakha that we didn't know, we should always be willing to change ourselves for that new thing.
That is the view of the Kotzker Rebbe. He says this is the proof that he was a Yirei Shamayim. He changed his mind in a second. He's an older man. His whole life he was willing to sacrifice his son, and then God comes and says, “No, you don't have to sacrifice your son. That's not something I would ever ask you to do.” Abraham says, “Okay, so I'll change. No problem.” It's a young mind. That's the way it is. It's not only in ideology; it's also in situations. Sometimes we're in a situation where a person is healthy, serving God in a certain way, and then they're not. We have to always know and be young enough and flexible enough to adjust ourselves and understand: if this is my situation and I have to serve God the best I can based on my situation, it's also part of the flexibility that a person is supposed to have. This, says the Kotzker Rebbe, is the Hiddush, the novelty. Abraham is teaching us: always be fresh and young, willing to make adjustments to our own beliefs that we had until then. Shabbat Shalom.