Isaac יצחק means He Laughs, or May God Smile.
Isaac יצחק was the son of Abraham, and the father of Esau and Jacob.
Isaac יצחק's mother, Sarai, laughed when God told Abram of their son's eventual birth, because she was past the age of childbearing.
Isaac יצחק died at age 180 years, making him the longest-living patriarch.
Isaac יצחק was also the only one whose name was not changed, and the only one who did not leave Canaan.
According to tradition, Isaac יצחק instituted the afternoon prayer, Genesis 24:63 ("Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide").
There was a dispute in early Islam, over the identity of the sonwho was to be sacrificed to God, as early scholars believed it was Isaac יצחק rather than Ishmael, notably Ibn Ḳutayba, and al-Ṭabarī.
Other parties held that the promise to Sarah was of a son, Isaac יצחק, and a grandson, Jacob (11:71–74), which excluded the possibility of a premature death of Isaac יצחק.
Muslim scholars now endorse that it was Ishmael.
The dispute was more concerned with Persian, rather than Jewish rivalry with Arabs, since the Persians claimed to be of descendants of Isaac יצחק.
Yitzhak Rabin, an Israeli politician and general, was the 5th Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995.
Yitzhak Shamir (Icchak Jeziernicky), one of the three leaders of Lehi, nickname "Michael" for Michael Collins, was Prime Minister of Israel from 1983 to 1984 and again from 1986 to 1992.
Variants:
* Yitrzhak
* Yitzchaq
* Icchak
* Yiẓḥaq
* Yiṣḥāq
* Ishak
* Ishaq
إسحٰق