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Abraham said to G-d,“If only Yishmael would live in awe of You.” 

Genesis 17:18

Yishmael was born under natural circumstances, whereas Yitzchak’s birth was miraculous. Furthermore, Yishmael was circumcised at an age at which he could comprehend the significance of the act, whereas Yitzchak was circumcised as an infant, before his mind could grasp its importance.

Yishmael’s birth and development followed a natural and logical order. His connection to G-d hinged on his own understanding. In contrast, Yitzchak’s birth and development reflect the fact that his bond to G-d was immutable, transcending nature and reason.

G-d therefore told Abraham that Yitzchak, not Yishmael, would be the forebear of the Jewish people. Isaac’s early life encapsulates the unique and eternal bond between G-d and the Jewish people.

Yitzchak’s birth and upbringing serve as the model for Jewish education. A Jewish child should be raised from birth to live a

G-dly, spiritual life. We must not wait idly for the children to grow up, hoping that they develop a commitment to Judaism on their own. As Yitzchak’s life teaches us, the Jewish people’s connection to G-d is entirely supra-natural and not bound by the limitations of human intellect.

—From Daily Wisdom 3