The Binding of Isaac has held a central place in Judaism since Antiquity, but interestingly, Sarah is absent from the biblical narrative. Midrashic interpretations have filled this lacuna, and the story continued to acquire new layers of meaning in medieval Europe, especially following the First Crusade. Jews who chose death over forced conversion were often depicted as Isaac, and stories of parents killing their children to prevent their Christianization related to Abraham. Sarah, on the one hand, suffers and dies in response to Abraham’s actions, revealing similarities to midrashim as well as Mary’s response to the Crucifixion. On the other hand, despite her pain, she accepts God’s request to sacrifice her beloved son.
This paper will explore this innovative interpretation within medieval and early modern Ashkenazi texts, in both Hebrew and (understudied) Yiddish sources. In particular, the Ashkenazi portrayal of Sarah will be compared with that of the Virgin Mary.