495. "On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off" (Beresheet 22:4). The meaning of "on the third day" has already been explained, but since it has already been stated, "And he rose up and went to the place of which the Elohim had told him" (Ibid. 3), ONE SHOULD ASK why does it then say, "On the third day...and he saw the place afar off?" WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS REPETITION? HE REPLIES, It is written, "For in Isaac shall your seed be called" (Beresheet 21:12), because Jacob came from him. ISAAC IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN, WHICH HAS NO EXISTENCE WITHOUT THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS JACOB. And, he is called "the third day," BECAUSE ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, WHICH ARE CALLED 'THREE DAYS.' THUS, JACOB, WHO IS TIFERET, IS EQUIVALENT TO THE THIRD DAY. THIS IS WHY HE LOOKED FOR JACOB, WHO IS THE CAUSE OF THE EXISTENCE OF ISAAC.

496. The words, "and saw the place afar off," are similar to, "from afar off has Hashem appeared to me" (Yirmeyah 31:3), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN. The phrase, "and he saw the place" refers to Jacob, of whom it is written, "and he took of the stones of that place" (Beresheet 28:11). SO Abraham looked into the "third day," which is the third grade, NAMELY TIFERET, and there he saw Jacob, who was to issue from him. BUT "afar off" MEANS at some distant time, as we have already explained, rather than in the near future.

497. Rabbi Elazar said to him, What is Abraham praised for, as he already saw that Jacob was destined to issue from him? Since he was on his way to sacrifice Isaac, this cannot be such a great praise for him. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE BECAUSE THIS MUST HAVE BROUGHT SOME DOUBT INTO HIS MIND ABOUT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. IF HE IS ABOUT TO OFFER HIM AS A SACRIFICE, HOW THEN WILL JACOB BE BORN?

498. He said to him, It is certain that he saw Jacob, because even before THE SACRIFICE, Abraham had knowledge of wisdom. THIS MEANS THAT HE HAD ALREADY ATTAINED THE SUPERNAL MOCHIN THAT FLOW OVER THE THREE COLUMNS, THE THIRD COLUMN OF WHICH IS JACOB. So now he looked into the "third day," which is the third grade, TIFERET, to draw perfection from it - THAT IS, TO COMPLETE HIS MOCHIN, BECAUSE PERFECTION CANNOT BE REACHED EXCEPT THROUGH THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Then THE SCRIPTURES SAY THAT he saw Jacob, as it is written, "and he saw the place," MEANING HE SAW THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS CALLED JACOB. But this still remained "afar off" from him, AS HE COULD NOT ACHIEVE IT NOW. He was on his way to bind Isaac and did not wish to have any doubts about the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO TOLD HIM TO OFFER ISAAC AS A SACRIFICE. AND THEREFORE, HE DID NOT ACHIEVE THE CENTRAL COLUMN COMPLETELY, AS IS FURTHER EXPLAINED.

499. The words "afar off" MEAN THAT he only saw him through a clouded mirror, which is why he did not see him clearly. If the illuminating mirror had been over the opaque mirror, then Abraham would have grasped him properly, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. THUS, ABRAHAM SAW HIM only from "afar off."

500. AND HE ASKS, Why did the clear shining mirror disappear? AND HE REPLIES, Because this is the grade of Jacob, and as Jacob was not yet born, his aspect was not yet present over this grade. Furthermore, it disappeared so that Abraham could go AND BIND HIS SON and receive his reward. SO ACCORDINGLY, "he saw the place afar off" MEANS THAT HE SAW Jacob, as is explained, "afar off," MEANING THAT he did not reach him.

501. The verse, "And they came to the place which the Elohim had told him of" (Beresheet 22:9) implies that even though he had the ability to "see" Jacob, Abraham said that the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO TOLD HIM TO BIND ISAAC, certainly knows another way to achieve this end. So immediately, "Abraham built an altar there," WHICH MEANS THAT EVEN THOUGH HE SAW THAT ISAAC WOULD BEAR JACOB, HE HAD NO DOUBTS ABOUT THE COMMANDS OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. AND BECAUSE OF HIS TRUST IN THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, HE BUILT AN ALTAR.

502. But before this, it is written, "And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, 'My father...'" (Ibid. 7) which has already been explained. But why did he not reply to him at all? AND HE REPLIES, Because Abraham ceased to have the mercy of a father towards his son. INSTEAD, THE ATTRIBUTE OF JUDGMENT CAME UPON HIM. THIS IS THE REASON WHY HE DID NOT ANSWER HIM THE FIRST TIME. Thus, it is written, "Here I am, my son." "Here I am," AS IF TO SAY - the Mercy has gone and changed into Judgment.

503. Note that it is written, "And Abraham said," rather than "And his father said." This is because he was no longer like a father, but had become an adversary. Of the verse, "Elohim will provide himself a lamb," HE SAID, It should have been written, 'will provide us' and not "Himself." AND HE REPLIES THAT he said to him, Elohim will provide for His own needs at the appropriate time. Now, my son, and not the lamb, IS THE OFFERING. Immediately, it is written, "They went both of them together," WHICH MEANS THAT ISAAC FOLLOWED THE WILL OF HIS FATHER.

504. Rabbi Shimon began with the verse, "Behold, the mighty ones shall cry outside, ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly" (Yeshayah 33:7). In this verse, "the mighty ones (also: 'angels')" are the celestial angels who cried out at the time WHEN ISAAC WAS BOUND UPON THE ALTAR and wanted the Holy One, blessed be He, to remember and fulfill the promise in the verse, "And He took him outside" (Beresheet 15:5), WHICH ALLUDES TO THE BLESSING OF HIS OFFSPRING. Therefore, it IS WRITTEN, They "shall cry outside".