It would seem that since Abraham’s faith was a “blind faith” and he is considered our father in faith, then the Torah is teaching us to follow God blindly without question. Further, we would be disloyal if we express doubts about what the Torah says God “commands” us to do. On the contrary, the images of God as controller, lawgiver/commander and tester are incomplete and false and they distort our lives of faith into “blind faith”. These images are corrected by the “white fire” (Candace R. Kwiatek) in the story of Genesis 22.
Genesis 22: 1-24, presents to us a rather puzzling story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Some commentators suggest that it was a mere test. Even the book of Sirach 44: 20 reiterates that God was out to check Abraham’s loyalty and being loyal, Abraham sets off right away to execute God’s command without hesitancy. Just like a soldier, he sets off to carry out the command, instantaneously, no hesitation and no questions. Just to do as commanded, period. Is this, however, what the Torah wants to teach us? To follow God blindly without question? No place for doubt or questioning?
Let us consider another perspective that loyalty to God has room for questioning. Some interpreters hold that the singling out of Isaac for
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Hebrews 11 defines and explains what faith is---the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. This faith is not by any chance a “blind faith”, it is as if seeing the one who is invisible, it is questioning, taking risks, delaying action and/or making changes (Fields 52). Our lives are a continuous search. We should pane beat and fine tune our faith by asking ourselves deep questions about our own faith in God. Like Abraham, we should not be fearful of asking questions and pursuing answers for God’s grace will guide us. We should be ready to let go redundant beliefs that are challenged by our faith in God and daily recommitting ourselves to