Article June 10, 2002 Issue

FATHERS TO SONS: "HERE I AM"

William Pollack

When I think about the importance of fathers and the emotional connections they can share with their sons, I recall the biblical father-son pair of Abraham and his firstborn son, Isaac. Coming late in Abraham's life, through the intercession of Sarah's prayers to God, Isaac represents a much loved and special son, the inheritor of all the future promises to the Hebrews, and the beginnings of a paternal line that leads from the Old Testament into the Christian world of the New.

Although the story is still read today as a testimony to a man's faith in his God, as reflecting the monotheistic ethic of ending human sacrifice on behalf of God, it also could symbolize the bonds between fathers and their sons. While Abraham's love for Isaac was tested by God, in the end Abraham and Isaac—father and son—were reunited in a profound and meaningful way.

A beautiful poetic phrase, used repeatedly in the ancient Hebrew text, when God calls upon Abraham to be his spiritual son, is the reply "Heneini—here I am." On another level, Abraham, more than just responding to God, is announcing to Isaac, his one and only son, "Heneini—here I am!"; and perhaps today, in quite a similar way, most fathers are trying to let their sons know that they are there, ready to love, comfort, and protect them.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
June 10, 2002
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit