by Rav Moshe Leib HaCohen Halbershtat, founder and head of the Yoru Program for the Training of Rabbis and Community Leaders, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.
This week's Torah portion of Lech Lecha (B'reshit 12-17) begins with G-d's command to our Patriarch Avraham to leave his homeland and go "to the land that I will show you." Avraham then took his wife Sarah and the rest of his family and all those they had taught about G-d, "and they set off for the land of Canaan."
The Medrash Rabba (39,1) quotes the simile cited by R. Yitzchak:
"[Avraham is] analogous to a traveler passing from place to place, who saw a building with a candle burning inside. He said: ‘Could it be that this building has no one in charge?’ The owner of the building looked out at him and said: ‘I am in charge.’ Similarly, because Avraham was saying: ‘Is it possible that this world has no one in charge?’ The Holy One, blessed be He, looked at him and told him: ‘I am the owner of the world and I am in charge.’"
Rashi explains that Avraham Avinu saw the heavens and earth, and the sun in the daytime, and the moon at night, and the shining stars, and said to himself, "Could there be such a vast enterprise as this without someone running it?" G-d looked down and gave him the answer: "Yes, Someone is in charge – Me."
This opening passage of Lech Lecha also tells us about the people that Avraham and Sarah "made." The Medrash (ibid. 39,14, and Yalkut Shimoni 66) quotes R. Elazar ben Zimra:
"If everyone in the world would gather together to try to create even one mosquito, they would not be able to give it life – and yet the Torah states that they "made" souls in Haran?! [Answer:] This refers to the people that they converted [to belief in G-d]. But if they converted, then why does the Torah say that they "made" them? It teaches you that whoever is mekarev [from the same root as "kiruv," meaning "to draw near"] an idol worshipper and converts him, it is as though he has created him. And why is it written in plural ["they made"]? R. Huna said: Avraham converted the men and Sarah converted the women."
Later on we read, "Avraham planted an eshel in Be'er Sheva" (21,33). The Gemara tells us that this a form of rest stop, or possibly an orchard, where he could give passersby room and board, and from there accompany them along their way. In short: Avraham was a one-man kindness operation. The above verse continues: "and there he called in the name of G-d, Lord of the Universe." The Sages say that this means Avraham proclaimed G-d's name to all the people and caused them to recognize and say His name. How so? "After they ate and drank and were about to thank him [Avraham], Avraham said, "Was it my food that you ate? It is food that belongs to the G-d of the universe! Thank and praise Him, He Who spoke and created the world!"
Avraham Avinu was born in a generation of idol-worshipers and spiritual darkness – and he was the one to bring it light. He looked around and came to a simple and logical conclusion that if there is Creation, there must be a Creator. Avraham set out on his Divinely-ordained journey, and wherever he traveled, he brought the message of faith in the Creator. Thousands of people flocked to him, and Avraham and Sarah taught them faith in G-d. As a great man of chessed, kindness, Avraham hosted and fed them, accompanied them on their way – and taught them that everything is from G-d.
If we were to ask what was the main legacy that Avraham left to the world, it would seem that he symbolized the essence of faith in G-d, for this was his main message to the world.
However, let us look at these sources:
* "You will keep truth with Yaakov, kindness to Avraham" (Micha 7,20).
* "Simon the Just was one of the last of the Men of the Great Assembly. He would say: 'On three things the worlds stands: on the Torah, on service of G-d, and on acts of kindness." (Pirkei Avot 1,2). Rav Chaim of Volozhin explained: "Yaakov Avinu instituted the pillar of Torah, for he was a "dweller of tents." Yitzchak instituted the pillar of service (prayer)… and Avraham instituted the pillar of kindness, as is known: He "planted an eshel in Be'er Sheva" [as we explained above]."
We see that the Prophet Micha, and then the Sages after him, when they defined the flagship attribute of Avraham Avinu and what he symbolizes, their answer was clear: Chessed! Why is this? Certainly he raised up the concept and actualization of chessed to heights that the world had never seen before, helping thousands of people as he did. But still, how can this be compared to the message of faith in G-d that he brought to the world? This message brought about a change in the world that still reverberates among all mankind even today, thousands of years later! Even the chessed that Avraham did was recruited for the purpose of spreading the tidings of faith in the Creator!
Let us explain.
There can be various reasons why one is motivated to do chessed. Some of them are negative, in that he might want to gain influence over people so that they will support him politically or otherwise. Or it could be that he wants to help those who are suffering in order to quiet his conscience. Alternatively, it could be he has reached the logical conclusion that the right thing to do is to help others in need. There might be other motivations as well.
Avraham Avinu did chessed for none of the above reasons. Rather, he simply wanted to be like G-d. The Gemara (Sotah 14a) teaches:
R. Ḥama son of R. Ḥanina says: "What is the meaning of that which is written: 'After the Lord your G-d you shall walk' (D'varim 13,5)? How it is possible to do so, given that 'the Lord your G-d is a devouring fire' (4,24)? The meaning is that one should follow G-d's attributes. For instance, just as He clothes the naked, as is written: “G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them” (B'reshit 3,21), so too, you should clothe the naked; just as He visits the sick, as with Avraham Avinu (18,1), so too, should you visit the sick; and just as He consoles mourners, as is written, "it came to pass after the death of Avraham, that G-d blessed Yitzchak his son” (25,11), so too, should you console mourners; and just as G-d buried the dead – Moshe Rabbeinu (D'varim 34,6) – so too, you should bury the dead.
Avraham Avinu discovered his Creator on his own, and sought to cleave to Him in every aspect of life by walking in His paths and exemplifying His attributes. The reason why he spreads the truth of G-d among all mankind is because he wishes to do kindness for them. Everything that he does is simply chessed, because this is what G-d does; his motives are totally pure, for the sole purpose of being like G-d. The Prophet Micha revealed to us this innermost and essential truth of Avraham: the attribute of chessed. Avraham did not welcome guests and feed them, etc., simply to teach them about G-d; rather, he did so purely to do what G-d does and to help people. He did so both spiritually and materially, and all from the same pure and true motivation. And this is why what symbolizes him is, in Micha's words, "Chessed l'Avraham."
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