Where's Yitzchak?

A guest post by JS:

Reading through the parshiot, Yitzchak is simply nowhere to be found when you most expect him to be present.

At the beginning of the Akeida, we are told:

ג וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר, וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת-חֲמֹרוֹ, וַיִּקַּח אֶת-שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ, וְאֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ; וַיְבַקַּע, עֲצֵי עֹלָה, וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ, אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-אָמַר-לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים.

22:3 And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he cleaved the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

And yet, at the end of the Akeida, we are told:

יט וַיָּשָׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל-נְעָרָיו, וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ יַחְדָּו אֶל-בְּאֵר שָׁבַע; וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְרָהָם, בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע.

22:19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Be'er Sheva; and Abraham dwelt at Be'er Sheva.

Where's Yitzchak? We're only told that Avraham and the two young men go to Be'er Sheva. Afterwards, we're told that Sarah dies. Again, where's Yitzchak? He is never mentioned at all in connection to her death, her mourning, her eulogy, or her burial. We know Yitzchak cared deeply about his mother (see Bresihit 24:67).

And later, when Avraham dies, Yitzchak is elsewhere. This is in direct contrast to Yitzchak himself who had Yaakov nearby when he died (see Breishit 35:27-9), and Yaakov who had his children and grandchildren nearby when he died (see Breishit 49:33). Furthermore, each of the patriarchs blesses his children before his death, except Avraham; Avraham does not bless Yitzchak before his death (and obviously cannot since Yitzchak is nowhere to be found). Instead, Hashem blesses Yitzchak immediately after Avraham's death (and seemingly on behalf of Avraham, see Breishit 25:11).

So what's going on here? Where's Yitzchak? We are told:

סב וְיִצְחָק בָּא מִבּוֹא, בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי; וְהוּא יוֹשֵׁב, בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב.

24:62 And Isaac came from the way of Be'er La'chai Ro'i; for he dwelt in the land of the South.

And later:

יא וַיְהִי, אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אַבְרָהָם, וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ; וַיֵּשֶׁב יִצְחָק, עִם-בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי.

11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt by Be'er La'chai Ro'i.

And yet, what is Be'er L'Chai Ro'i? It's the well Hagar named after she ran away from Sarah:

יג וַתִּקְרָא שֵׁם-יְהוָה הַדֹּבֵר אֵלֶיהָ, אַתָּה אֵל רֳאִי: כִּי אָמְרָה, הֲגַם הֲלֹם רָאִיתִי--אַחֲרֵי רֹאִי.

יד עַל-כֵּן קָרָא לַבְּאֵר, בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי--הִנֵּה בֵין-קָדֵשׁ, וּבֵין בָּרֶד.

16:13 And she called the name of the LORD that spoke unto her, Thou art a God of seeing; for she said: 'Have I even here seen Him that seeth Me?'

16:14 Wherefore the well was called Be'er La'chai Ro'i; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Partial answer: I think the Akeida was a deeply traumatic experience for Yitzchak. While Avraham soared to new spiritual heights, Yitzchak sunk to psychological lows. I believe he could not bear to be around Avraham after the Akeidah, to the extent that even though he loved his mother deeply, he couldn't bring himself to be there for her funeral because Avraham was there. Similarly, Yitzchak is not there when Avraham is about to die. And yet, perhaps ironically, it is family that was most important to Yitzchak. I believe this is why he had Sarah's tent and why he disappears until Rivkah shows up. It takes a Rivkah who embodies chesed to start to bring Yitzchak out of his depression - to start to recreate the family bonds that were shattered by the Akeida. I believe this is why Yitzchak settles near the well that Hagar ran to. Because, this is where the family started to fall apart and this is where Hashem promised that nonetheless it would be OK, Yishmael would be alright. I believe this is also why Yitzchak tries to intercede with God on behalf of Rivkah and never seeks out another wife. While Avraham prays for a son, he never prays that Sarah should have a son. And this is what Yitzchak is all about, he desperately wants a cohesive family and wants what only Yaakov was able to finally achieve - a family unit united in worship of Hashem. Perhaps this is also why he is so attached to Esav. Esav is a hunter, like Yishmael was. If God blessed Yishmael, his brother, who was a hunter, surely God would accept Esav as well. Alas it was not meant to be, which is perhaps why Yitzchak shudders so powerfully when he realizes he has blessed the wrong child - it is a sign from God that Yitzchak's plan is not meant to be, Esav has been rejected, and the family will be torn apart again.

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