The Akeidah

In this work, Michael Kaiser presents an original and creative interpretation of the Akeidah, the haunting saga of faith which has intrigued the world for millennia. Based on a close reading of the Biblical text in conjunction with an impressive array of commentators, both ancient and modern, the author reveals how the drama of the Akeidah lies in the unresolved tension inherent in the creation of the world, and how the characters in this drama are uniquely suited to fulfill their divine mission. The book concludes with the text and analysis of a twelfth century piyut which is the focal point of the Yamim Noraim services in many Sephardic congregations but virtually unknown in Ashkenazic circles. In his Foreword, Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter writes: “Once again, Reb Michael has presented us with original, brilliant ideas, this time revolving around one story in the Torah – the complex, challenging, powerful and enigmatic story of the Akeidah. And, once again, the breadth of Reb Michael’s sources is astounding – Chazal and Acharonim, Gemara and Midrashim, Ashkenazim and Sephardim, Chasidim and Mitnagdim, Halachah and Aggadah, commentators and codifiers, all presented most cogently, clearly and articulately.” Michael Kaiser is a businessman who, with his wife Judy, divide their time between Toronto and Jerusalem. In addition to articles in Jewish Action, The Jewish Observer, and The Globe and Mail, he is the author of Le-Chaber es Ha-Ohel: Exploring Connections in Tanach and Chazal (OU Press, 2020).