Sha'ar HaEmunah VeYesod HaChasidut, Entrance to the Gate of Beit Yaakov 15

בעקדה, נתגלה אור עתיקא קדישא, ונשאר האור הזה קבוע בזרעו של אברהם, שיוכלו לקבלו ע"י אמונה, שיוכלו לקבעו בלב ולהשיגו. The Binding of Isaac – Tying the Knot of Faith
The ability to penetrate into the world above nature – the world of faith and miracles – is deeply rooted in the Jewish soul. From the moment that Avraham sought to offer his son, Yitzhak, as a sacrifice, and the latter agreed, the transcendent light of faith was planted in the hearts of the Jewish people. Thus, they are forever ready to pray for things that are beyond mortal grasp.

וכן מה שנזכר בזוה"ק נשא (דף קל.) מה שנתגלה אור העליון שנקרא עתיקא קדישא, שרק פעם אחת נזכר בתורה וז"ל, שמיה דעתיקא סתים מכולא ולא מתפרש באורייתא בר מן אתר חד דאומי זעיר אנפין לאברהם דכתיב בי נשבעתי נאם ה' נאם דזעיר אפין. וענין זה שנתגלה אז אור עתיקא קדישא נתבאר בפנים בפרשת וירא על פסוק זה, שעד זמן שנתגלה לו המאמר אל תשלח ידך היה כונת המאמר של והעלהו לעולה שישחטהו, ורק בעת שנאמר המאמר אל תשלח ידך, אז נתגלה האור העליון ממקום שהוא למעלה מכל גבולים, ונשאר אור הזה קבוע ביצחק ובזרעו, שבאמת הוא עולה תמימה, אחר שהוסכם בדעתו ובדעת אברהם אבינו שיקרב עולה, וכל חייו הוא מהמאמר שנאמר לו אל תשלח ידך אל הנער, ומזה נקבע בזרעו שיהיו מוכנים לקבל אור הזה בכל זמן שיצרך להם, וכמו שנתבאר הענין בפנים באריכות בפ' העקידה. וכל זה הוא ע"י קביעת האמונה בלב האדם, ובאמונה הזאת יתקשר האדם עם השי"ת, במקום שהוא למעלה מתפיסת האדם, וממילא נמצא כח תפלה בלב האדם אף לדבר נמנע בטבע, ויכול לעורר רצון הש"י שיראהו גם לעיניו ויראה זאת אף בגבול השגתו: The Zohar in Parshat Nasso (130a) speaks of the revelation of the supernal light called Atika Kadisha, which is alluded to in the Torah but once. The Zohar says: The name of Atika, the Ancient One, is hidden from all, and only mentioned in the Torah once. At the end of the Akeida (the binding of Yitzhak), we find that the Divine persona of Zeir Anpin makes an oath to Avraham, where it says, “Bi nishba’ati, n’oom Hashem – I swear on Me, says God.”³⁹⁹The Zohar always reads the various names of G-d as referring to different spiritual worlds, such as sefirot and partzufim. The name Hashem – the Tetragrammaton – is understood to refer to the partzuf of Zeir Anpin, where as the word bi – “I swear on Me,” refers to Atika Kadisha. Here, Zeir Anpin is swearing on the higher partsuf of Atika Kadisha. The revelation of the light of Atika is explained in the Zoharic explanation of the Akeida in Parshat Vayeira, on this verse. God had told Avraham to offer his son as a sacrifice. However, it was a vague statement, which could have been interpreted either as “slaughter him,” or simply, “bind him on an altar like a sacrifice, but do not kill him.” Up until the point where the angel tells Avraham, “do not stretch forth your hand against the boy,” the command to offer Yitzhak as a sacrifice meant to slaughter him. At the very moment the angel said, “do not stretch forth your hand,” there occurred a revelation of the Supernal light, reaching from a place beyond all borders.⁴⁰⁰The author seems to be suggesting that the change in G-d’s commandment to Avraham – from slaughtering Yitzchak to merely offering him – was in the nature ofa miracle, in that it resulted from the emanation of a light that transcended the intellect. Other chasidic thinkers have pointed out that the entire test of the Akeida transcended the intellect. G-d had earlier promised Avraham “through Yitzchak, your descendants will carry on your name. (Bereshis, 21:12). Yet now, G-d commands to kill him. The test, for Avraham, was believing that somehow both could be true. This light then remained permanently with Yitzhak and his descendents. Truly Yitzhak is an “olah temima (a wholly offered and unblemished sacrifice).” This happened after he and Avraham wholeheartedly decided to sacrifice him as an olah. All of Yitzhak’s life is contained in the Divine utterance spoken to Avraham, “Do not stretch forth your hand against the boy.” From this moment on, it was permanently established that his progeny would all be ready and willing to receive this light at any moment that they need it. This is discussed at length in the Zoharic explanation of the Akeida. This is possible when man actively fixes emunah in his heart, and it is through this emunah that he may connect to God in a place beyond his comprehension. This being so, it follows that such a heart will have the power to pray, even when those prayers defy nature. From the Akeida on, the seed of Yitzhak contains a willingness to be drawn after God’s will on the level of being an olah temima. Because of this, he can awake God’s will to clearly show him and let him understand realms and levels beyond his ability to see or comprehend.