“Tears from Deep Within" In this week's parsha I imagine tears poised and waiting to be released, hidden beneath the surface, crouching everywhere. Did Abraham and Sarah shed tears through the many decades of yearning and praying for a child? Were there tears wept by Sarah in anguish at the birth of a son to her husband, and her handmaid Hagar? At hearing of the prophecy that Abraham and Sarah will bear their own child, did they cry tears of joyous anticipation? Perhaps there were tears mixed with laughter as they imagined bearing children in their old age? Did Sarah weep tears of happiness and relief at the birth of Isaac? Finally what tears of pain and anguish were shed by Abraham when he traveled to sacrifice his son, Isaac on the mountain. Abraham weeps for his son. Maybe he weeps for Sarah, and for himself. He is both a loyal servant, who hurries to fulfill the will of his Creator, and he is a compassionate and loving father, who cannot suppress his feelings. In the Midrash we hear of Abraham's tears literally pouring forth from his soul as he is poised to kill Isaac. 'Tears welled up and fell from Abraham's eyes until the pool of tears was as tall as him. Tears fell from Abraham's eyes until he was swimming in tears. His mouth opened with a great weeping, he sighed a great sigh and he prayed to God.' The parsha ends with a ram being sacrificed instead of Isaac. The ram's horns became shofars. Its thighs became flutes. Its hide became a drum. Its intestines become harps and its inner organs become violins. All to be used in the holy Temple. This ram turned potential tragedy into actual music, turned fear and love into a primordial cry of the shofar and into beautiful, sweet melodic music in the Temple. The whole body of the ram was used and elevated in service to God. May we give ourselves permission to cry cathartic tears from our souls. May we try to understand what God wants of us and then may we be successful in fulfilling that divine will. May we live lives filled with music and sweet service to God. Much love and Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem, Elissa
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