The Binding of Isaac is one of the most complicated and disturbing of biblical stories. Tomes have been written throughout the centuries to try to make sense of this event. Perhaps the key to unlocking this complicated story lies with the unsung and often overlooked “hero” of the story — the ram. This animal gives its life and saves the life of Isaac, who until that moment had been designated to be the sacrifice, requested by God “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and get you into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of” (Genesis 22:2). Once Isaac is bound on the altar, the knife in Abraham’s hand, an angel forbids the harming of Isaac, leaving Abraham to spot a ram caught in the thicket. The timing of the arrival of a replacement for Isaac that was easily accessible to the elderly Abraham can be viewed as nothing short of miraculous.
According to the Mishnah (Ethics if the Fathers, 5:8), the six days of creation were topped off, right before the onset of Shabbat. These several critical products of God’s handiwork were inherently miraculous — in place as essential for select future events. Abraham’s ram is on this list, indicating that God had planned from the very beginning of the world for an animal to take the place of Isaac.