By Rabbi Dovid Caro
The Parshos of Sefer Bereishis discuss the lives of the Avos, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. The Ramban explains that ‘Maase Avos siman labanim’ – the way our forefathers acted is a sign for the children, i.e. for us. Many things are a sign what would happen to the Jewish Nation in future generations. Many actions of the Avos are a lesson for us how to behave.
Our aim and goal in life is to strive to emulate the exceptional traits of our Holy forefathers. But in order to be able to do this we must study properly these Parshos and understand properly to the best of our capability, their behavior.
In this week’s Parsha Avraham Avinu is challenged with a few Nisyonos – tests.
Nimrod was a powerful king ruling with an iron fist. He believed that one must serve and bow down to all powers, the sun, the moon, the wind, the clouds and any power that existed. He also enforced that one should not recognize and believe in one single power that is ruling everything.
One day comes a young boy, opens his eyes and studies the world around him. He comes to the understanding and recognition that every power and force that exists in the world was created and is ruled by one power, the Creator. The Creator who keeps an amazing balance and stability to everything that exists and that every power and force in the world works together in harmony.
This young boy doesn’t keep his revelation to himself. He goes out telling everyone. He comes homes and smashes all the idols he can find.
And then he is arrested and brought to trial.
“Bow down to anything,” orders Nimrod, “not just to one G-d”. Believing in one G-d has ramifications and responsibilities. There is a Boss, one can’t just do what one pleases. But Nimrod doesn’t want to accept that. He wants to live and lead a life, a country and an empire that everyone can follow their hearts desires.
The young boy refuses. He will not budge from the truth.
Nimrod gives a verdict that he is to be burned alive.
But the fire of faith in Hashem was stronger than the materialistic fire.
Hashem Himself came down and saved Avraham from burning.
The miraculous rescue of Avraham stuns the whole world and a new wave of Teshuva ripples through the world.
Avraham converted the men and Sarah converted the women. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people start following Avraham.
Then Avraham receives his first prophecy. Drop everything; leave your homeland, your hometown and start going to a place that I (Hashem) will show you. Avraham receives a commandment to leave his whole Institution behind and head off to the unknown.
Avraham didn’t argue, he never prayed to annul this terrible decree. He never questioned Hashem what would be with all his students and followers that needed him. He understood that if Hashem told him to leave, it meant that he had accomplished his purpose here and it was time to move on.
Avraham arrives in Eretz Canaan, the Promised Land that one day would become his. He wastes no time and gets to work implanting Emunah in the population. Avraham had a new gathering of followers and students.
And then tragedy struck. There was a famine. The famine wasn’t worldwide, just in Eretz Yisrael.
What did people say? What did everyone think? What did his students think?
“It must be that the idols are taking revenge.”
“Is this the reward of Emunah in Hashem?”
The prophet has reached such dire poverty that he has to leave his promised land and go down to Egypt, the corrupt Nation in those times. He barely arrives, his wife is taken away by force and brought to the Palace of Pharaoh.
Avraham Avinu hasn’t said a word, he hasn’t complained, he accepted everything Hashem said and did.
But then everything starts changing around.
The Malach – Angel starts hitting Pharaoh; plagues came on Pharaoh and his household. He immediately returns Sarah and asks Avraham for forgiveness. He gave Avraham presents, gold, silver, cattle, sheep, servants, maids, donkeys and camels. He ordered his soldiers to accompany Avraham out of the country.
Avraham now makes his way back to Eretz Yisrael as a wealthy man.
The Passuk tells us that Avraham returned on his travels back to Eretz Yisrael. Rashi explains that when Avraham came down to Mitzrayim he didn’t have how to pay for his lodgings. On his way back, he returned to the same guest houses to pay his debts.
However there is another explanation.
On the way down to Mitrayim Avraham left behind many questions in Emunah. Avraham himself was strong but his followers, his students, the people around him had so many questions. How could it be that Avraham was the true faith and look how much he was enduring?
Now Avraham returned to pay theses debts, to answer all these questions. Yes he suffered but it was a test. Now that he had passed the test he came back with so much rewards he had what to show everyone.
Yes, Hashem tested him, but it was only a test for a short time. Then came the reward of believing in Hashem. From the heart of suffering and tragedy, that’s where his salvation began. In Mitzrayim, when Sarah was held captive in Pharaoh’s palace the Malachim came down to guard her and punish Pharaoh.
This wasn’t only a message to all of Avraham’s students and followers, it was a message for all of us throughout history.
This is applicable in our personal life or as a Nation, we all have tests and challenges that maybe look like a question on our Emunah.
But we must learn from Avraham Avinu that these tests are short term and in the end the Jewish Nation and the Jewish faith have survived and after every setback we are thriving again.
Let us not get carried away by those difficult moments. They won’t last forever.
So many times they tried to wipe out the Jewish Nation but not only failed, the Jews rebuilt again even stronger than before. And the same has to be with our personal lives. Our setbacks are tests from Hashem as a stepping stone to reach even greater heights.