The Third Start

And they came to the place God had told him of, and Abraham built the altar there …                       Genesis 22:9

The verse does not say “he built an altar,” rather “the altar,” the altar on which Adam brought his sacrifices, which is the altar on which Noah and his sons offered their sacrifices, and where Adam made his offerings.                     Yalkut Shimoni

Perhaps the Yalkut wishes to teach us that the akeda (binding of Isaac) was a new start for Mankind, just as Adam and Noah were.

Adam, the progenitor of all mankind, obviously marks the start of the human race.

Noah and his sons, who together with their spouses were the sole human survivors of the Flood, represent Mankind’s second start, God’s granting a second chance to His choicest creature.

The akeda, in a real sense, marks the beginning of Jewish history. As such, it represents man’s embarking on the path of fulfillment of the purpose of creation, acceptance of monotheism and Torah. Thus, the akeda symbolizes yet a third start for Mankind.

Ultimately, each of mankind’s “starts” is connected to the Temple Mount, as our Sages taught, that the altar was located at the site of the Temple altar.