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Braishis 22:12

וַיֹּאמֶר אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֶל הַנַּעַר וְאַל תַּעַשׂ לוֹ מְאוּמָה כִּי | עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה וְלֹא חָשַׂכְתָּ אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ מִמֶּנִּי translates as: And he said, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him, for now I know that you are a God fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me.

Now what exactly is the angel saying over here "from me"? Avraham did not withhold Yitzchok from Hashem, not from the angel?

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  • this presumes that the speaker in pasuk 12 was the angel who spoke in 22:11. The way it is presented in rashi, the entire of pasuk 12 was said by hashem.
    – rosends
    Oct 28, 2015 at 23:12
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    Not a duplicate question. Good question.
    – Eliezer Steinbock
    Oct 29, 2015 at 7:25

2 Answers 2

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As agents of G-d, malachim speak on His behalf. This is also the case with prophets. (Conversely, we also find language in Tanach indicating that G-d is the One actually being addressed when an angel is being spoken to.)

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  • It's worth pointing out that this is a different angel than the one for the actual akeida. That angel was the Satan. And when Avraham successfully completed the test, that angel gave a reward. This second angel is speaking directly for HaShem and gives a second reward. As it points out in midrash, the test was instituted between the Satan and HaShem. Two parties to the test, two rewards.
    – Yaacov Deane
    Oct 30, 2015 at 19:13
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Seforno interprets the term ממני in conection with yreh Hashem, meaning that the malach knew that Avraham was superior to him (therefore, than I) in fear of Hashem (not in connection with the withhold of Yitzchok from Hashem):

מִמֶּנִּי. שֶׁאַתָּה יְרֵא אֱלהִים יותֵר מִמֶּנִּי שֶׁאֲנִי מַלְאָךְ, וְרָאוּי לְמַעֲלָה יותֵר מִמֶּנִּי, כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרונָם לִבְרָכָה: גְּדולִים צַדִּיקִים וְכוּ', שֶׁאַתָּה בְּפעַל יְרֵא אֱלהִים, כְּמו שֶׁהָיָה הָאֵל יודֵעַ קדֶם לָכֵן שֶׁהָיִיתָ יְרֵא אֱלהִים בְּכחַ, וְתִפּל יְדִיעָתו הַפּועֶלֶת עַל הַנִּמְצָא בְּפעַל.

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