The Simplicity of 8 Days

Our great forefather Avraham had 2 sons: Issac & Ishmael.
In this week's Torah portion, "Vayeira", Issac is born. From both children came powerful, influential nations.
But Issac was chosen by G-d to be a sacrifice (later substituted with a ram) to G-d, and his descendants were given the Torah, G-d's Message for creation. Why was Issac specifically chosen for this mission of spreading G-d's message to the world?

While living in Israel, Avraham & his wife Sarah experienced a great famine that affected the land severely. Forced to traverse down to Egypt to acquire food, the couple runs into some problems, with Sarah being taken by guards to be married off to Pharaoh. G-d Saves Sarah by striking Pharaoh's household with a plague, and Pharaoh wisely sends Avraham & Sarah away with great riches. But during his short acquaintance with the holy Avraham & Sarah, after witnessing miracles wrought for them, Pharaoh, greatly impressed, sends his daughter Hagar to be a hand-maid to Sarah, saying: "Greater a helper to Sarah, than a princess here."

Childless, Sarah asks Avraham to marry Hagar and they have a child, Ishmael. Avraham is commanded to circumcise himself and the males of his household. Ishmael is 13 yrs. old at the time. Soon G-d grants Sarah a child, Issac, and he is circumcised at 8 days old as commanded by G-d.

We are told in the Midrash, that one day, Issac and Ishmael were having an argument. Ishmael was gloating to Issac, saying: "I am greater than you, for I had my circumcision at 13 yrs. old! I made my own decision. I chose to dedicate myself to G-d!
You were 8 days old and had no choice!" Issac answered him: "That may be, but I was circumcised & thereby dedicated to G-d at 8 days old, beyond my choice, because I am dedicated to G-d beyond reason and understanding; beyond intellect."

The nature of a Jew is seen in his/her dedication to G-d; a commitment beyond reason. To be sure, Judaism places a central role on understanding as much as possible about Judaism & G-d, but through thick & thin, as we've seen throughout history, even when it doesn't seem to make sense, even through the greatest hardship and tests to our faith, we stay committed. And that's why Issac, his son Jacob, the 12 tribes, and all of the future Jewish People, had to be circumcised at 8 days old. A time when one doesn't yet "understand" G-d, but is bound with Him - body & soul.

Ishmael was born naturally, while Isaac was born miraculously - from a mother of 90 yrs. old who had always been barren. Sarah had no womb. Ever. Every person in the world has a connection with G-d, and a spiritual self that must be nurtured, and it is the duty of every Jew to help make this happen. But to do that, we must always remember who we are. A people whose intrinsic nature - as bequeathed to us spiritually by our forefathers - is one bound with G-d, on a level that defies all logic and nature. That's supernatural, beyond logic. An unalterable bond that defies any enemy, any adversity. That defies even the strong lures of society and the materiality of this world today in 2011. Let's remember that we shouldn't even be here; we should have been wiped out long ago. You are here for a reason.

Shabbat Shalom!

-Daniel