Avraham Avinu faced, and passed, ten tests from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. There is debate among Chazal as to exactly which events are included in this list. According to the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 55:7) the first and last of these tests involved the commandment of Lech Lecha – Go forth. First, in our parsha Hakadosh Baruch Hu says (Bereshit 12:1):
Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
Then, in the opening to Akeidat Yitzchak, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says (Bereshit 22:2):
And go to the land of Moriah.
I would like to focus on two of the tests (one of which is the result of a prior test) bookended by these monumental trials. In comparing the actions of Avraham during both episodes, we can gain insight into the behavior of all future generations.
The first episode began with the test of famine – we’ll summarize the story to capture its main points. Immediately upon his arrival in Canaan, Avraham was faced with a famine – the first such occurrence since Creation – and was forced to leave for Egypt. Recognizing Sarah was a beautiful woman the Egyptians would covet, which would, in turn, put his own life in danger, Avraham attempted to smuggle her across the border in a container (Bereshit Rabbah 40:5; Midrash Aggadah 12:14) and instructed her not to divulge their true relationship. As feared, the Egyptians pounced on her at first sight and brought her to Pharoah’s palace. Courtesy of his believed sibling relationship, Avraham received gifts from the Egyptians in return, whereas Pharoah and his household received punishment from Hakadosh Baruch through severe plagues.
Rashi says, based on the Midrash (Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 5), Sarah pointed to those who oppressed her, and an angel immediately struck them. Upon understanding their true relationship, Pharoah released Avraham and Sarah, ending their roughly three-month stay in Egypt. Upon their return to Canaan, both Avraham and Lot had large quantities of cattle, and disputes would arise between their shepherds, resulting in an eventual split and Lot heading off to settle in Sedom.
The second episode is the test involving a war between the four kings and five kings. The story occupies twenty-four pesukim in the Torah (Bereshit 14:1-24), which is a lot of real estate for a seemingly insignificant story involving random kings who decided to fight one another. That said, the subplot of Lot being taken hostage, and his rescue by Avraham, is of keen interest to us. Still, there must be a reason why so much focus is given to the rest of the story in a book that often jumps hundreds of years between pesukim and avoids elaboration on many topics very relevant to us. There must be lessons for us within these details. I would like to focus on one aspect of this episode and contrast the actions taken by Avraham with those taken just prior in Egypt. This comparison will also lead us to our next holiday, Chanukah, which is right around the corner if judging by the sufganiyot already showcased on the streets!
Amraphel (king of Shinar) is listed first in the list of the four kings. Kedarlaomer may have been the central character in the uprising (14:4) but Amraphel is listed first. The Paaneach Raza and Tur HaAroch explain that Amraphel was the most senior of the group. In addition to being listed first, Amraphel is the only king within his group whose name is explained by Rashi: Amraphel is Nimrod, the one who told Avraham to jump into the fiery furnace (Eruvin 53a). We don’t know the origins or true identities of Aryoch, Tidal, or Kedarlaomer, but we’re told Amraphel is Nimrod and we’re reminded of his attempt to take Avraham’s life. Interestingly, the names of the five kings in the opposing faction are all explained, and their origins all traced back to a theme of rebellion against Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
The author of Sukat David suggests another reason why the story begins with Amraphel. Setting aside individuals killing one another, this was the first organized war in the two thousand years since Creation. Nimrod was also the protagonist at the end of last week’s parsha, when he unified the people to build a tower for the singular purpose of rebelling against Hakadosh Baruch Hu (Rashi Bereshit 10:11). After unifying the people but failing in mission, he now turns his focus to unifying the people to kill one another instead. The Torah is teaching us a lesson about unifying people but for all the wrong reasons: Kinus lareshaim ra lahem vera laolam – Coming together of the evildoers is bad for them and bad for the world (Sanhedrin 71b), as evidenced by Amraphel’s lead role in the first mass war. As their war pivoted towards Lot, we read:
Now the Valley of Siddim was dotted with bitumen pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, in their flight, threw themselves into them, while the rest escaped to the hill country. The invaders seized all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, and his possessions, and departed; for he had settled in Sodom.
The Zohar (Lech Lecha 86b) poses three questions on the above pesukim. Firstly, the structure of the last pasuk is flawed. It should say, “They took Lot, Avram’s nephew, and all his wealth, and went on their way.” The syntax is equivalent to saying, “I received from Moshe, all the goods, Bercovitch.” It’s nonsensical. Secondly, were we not told just prior a few pesukim prior: Lot settled in the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom? Why are we again being told he lived in Sedom? Lastly, why are we twice told vayelechu – and they went on their way? Did they come and go twice? We’ll continue to the next pesukim and ask some additional questions to help lead us in the right direction.
A fugitive brought the news to Abram the Hebrew. Who was this palit – fugitive? According to Rashi, it was none other than Og, King of Bashan, referencing either to him escaping this war or escaping the flood during the time of Noach (Bereshit Rabbah 42:8). Another opinion, brought in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, has the fugitive being Michael, the angel, who escaped from the hands of the satan. But what is the angel Michael doing here in this story? We can understand Og’s presence based on the teachings of Reish Lakish in the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 42:8): Og had evil intentions when informing Avraham of Lot’s capture. He wished for Avraham to enter the war and die on the battlefield so that he could take Sarah as his wife. That speaks to Og’s presence, but what is the angel Michael’s connection?
Furthermore, what is meant by the extra-descriptive reference to Avram the Ivri? Yalkut Shimoni (73:1) explains: the whole world was on one side, and he, alone, on the other. But why is this description of Avraham’s philosophical and spiritual separation brought here amid a battle between warring kings who took his nephew hostage? This statement belongs earlier in Avraham’s biography, amid the description of his opposition to the idolatry of Ur Kasdim and being thrown into a furnace by his adversaries. Or perhaps at the tail end of our parsha, when we’re told (Rashi 17:23) Avraham performed his brit milah in broad daylight, unafraid of the heathens and cynics around him. What is the significance of mentioning it here?
When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he mustered his retainers, born into his household, numbering three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. Who were these three-hundred and eighteen men? According to Rashi, it was Eliezer alone, and the number 318 is the numerical value of his name (Nedarim 32a). How can that be? The Torah expressly states three-hundred and eighteen! Is Avraham going to battle armed with gematria?! The pasuk speaks of three-hundred and eighteen members of his household. What happened to them all? Rabbeinu Bachya says Avraham indeed mobilized 318 people, but most were discounted (or returned home out of fear) because Avraham recognized victory in battle is not determined by the size of the armies but by the merit of the soldiers. As the Torah states in its guidance for war: Is there anyone fearful and fainthearted? Let him return to his home (Devarim 20:8). Rabbi Yossi HaGelili explains this to mean people who are afraid the sins they committed will stand in the way of their merit for victory (Sotah 44a). According to Rabbeinu Bachye, they all left as a result, leaving Eliezer alone, and Eliezer’s ‘value’ was equivalent to the 317 other men. The Shem Mishmuel adds a similar idea. The numerical value of yeiush – despair, is 317. What is one above yeiush? 318. Who ran away from Avraham’s war? The 317 representing yeiush. And who remained? The one who did not despair – Eliezer, who had one above yeiush – he knew there is One above all that rules the world and helps the righteous.
We’ll look at a few final pesukim from the story’s conclusion and then start putting the pieces of this puzzle together:
Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the possessions for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I swear to Hashem, G-d Most High, Creator of heaven and earth: I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap of what is yours; you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich.’”
Chazal are puzzled by Avraham’s position. After defeating the kings in battle, the spoil of war rightfully belonged to him. Why did he refuse it? And why did he raise his hands in the air while saying velo tomar ani he’esharti et Avram? Avraham was signaling, “Do not think or say it was me, or these hands of mine, which brought victory in battle. It was from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. I am but nothing, not even the lace of a shoe.” This explains the raising of his hands but the initial question on the pasuk remains. Why did Avraham refuse to accept any of the war booty?
We’ll now work our way back through these questions and conclude with a powerful lesson explaining the differences between Avraham’s test during the war of the kings, and his earlier test in the house of Pharoah.
Upon arriving in Egypt, the officers took Sarah and brought her to Pharoah’s palace, directly to him. They reported to Pharoah that she was accompanied, at which point Avraham was introduced as her brother and they provided him royal treatment. Thus, it is fair to say that Avraham Avinu was in the same palace as Sarah, albeit in a different room or wing, or perhaps waiting patiently in the lobby. When nighttime arrived, he was likely escorted to the palace’s guest quarters or put up in a nearby hotel. What does Avraham Avinu do at that point, while his wife was in Pharoah’s room and custody? He davened. What does Sarah do at that same time? She also davened. We know this from the Sefer HaYashar (Bereshit, Lech Lecha 5):
And the woman was taken forthwith into the house of Pharaoh. And Abram was greatly grieved about his wife, and he prayed fervently unto the Lord to deliver Sarai from the hands of Pharaoh. And Sarai likewise prayed unto the Lord, saying: Oh G-d, my Lord, thou hast said unto my lord Abram to go forth from his land and from his kinsmen unto the land of Canaan, and thou hast given him the assurance to do well with him if he obey and do as thou hast spoken.... And therefore oh Lord my G-d, save and deliver me from the hands of this oppressor, and show kindness unto me for the sake of thy mercy.
Did their tefilla work? Yes.
And Hashem heard the voice of Sarah, and Hashem sent an angel to rescue Sarah from the hand of Pharaoh.
On that night, Hakadosh Baruch severely punished Pharoah and his household. An angel was sent to stand alongside Sarah, and the angel would strike Pharoah when he attempted to touch her. Sarah directed the angel to strike: Hashem plagued... because of the word of Sarah (Rashi 12:17; Tanchuma Lech Lecha 5:3). Their tefilla worked. After a few months, they left with riches galore: And Avram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold (Bereshit 13:2).
Fast forward a couple of years, and we find Avraham baking matzah on Erev Pesach, when a report arrives – from either Og or the angel Michael – of Lot’s capture (Midrash Aggadah Bamidbar 21:33). How does Avraham Avinu respond to the news? He immediately rounded up his servants for war. Three-hundred and eighteen tried to slow him down, “It’s Erev Pesach! We prepared a full seder. What’s the rush? Let it wait a day.“ Avraham responded, “No. We’re leaving for war right now, in the middle of this night! Whoever doesn’t want to take part can go home.” Avraham and Eliezer were left to proceed alone. The Torah tells us he divided against them at night. Rashi says this is to be read literally, as Avraham and Eliezer splitting up to pursue their enemy from different directions. The Midrash Aggadah says (Bereshit 14:15; Shemot 12:31), there is more profound significance in the division of the night. During the first half of the night, a miracle was performed for Avraham, and the second half of the night was reserved for a future Pesach seder. At our seder we now recite:
Then, most of the miracles did You wondrously do at night, at the first of the watches this night. A righteous convert [Avraham] did you make victorious when it was divided for him at night, and it was in the middle of the night.
An important question must be asked: Would tefilla not have helped? Just prior, when Avraham was sitting in his hotel room and Sarah held captive by Pharoah, how did he respond? He davened. And it worked! Shouldn’t that have been his response when told of Lot’s capture? Why did he need to interrupt 318 servants and all their Pesach plans? All that was required is twenty minutes in the Beit Midrash! Open the Aron Kodesh, recite Hashem Hashem three times, follow it up with a rousing piyut from Neilah, walk around the bimah seven times, sing Acheinu in harmony, add a Misheberach, cry out Shema Yisrael, blow a tekiya gedola, and then get back to the Pesach preparations! Why the need for mobilization and war? Why did Avraham not repeat the winning formula of Egypt?
This question can be flipped around, too. In his battle against the four kings, Avraham had no weapons. According to the Midrash, he picked up sand and straw, and they turned into swords and arrows upon being thrown; while the opposite transformation occurred when the kings launched weapons towards Avraham (Bereshit Rabbah 42:3; Yalkut Shimoni 73). Was there not enough sand in Egypt to throw at Pharoah and his officers? Why did Avraham not feel the need to fight for the life and freedom of his wife? For Lot, he fought. For his wife, no fight?
The disparity in response is astounding, and further comparison of the two stories makes it even sharper. Following the episode in Egypt, Avraham walks off with a tremendous load of gifts – cattle, gold, and servants – that result in great wealth. Following his rescue of Lot, the king of Sedom offers Avraham all the spoils of war but he accepts none of it. Not even a shoelace! Why not? He earned it through difficult and risky battles. Why does he refuse it all?
To explain, we’ll first bring an idea from Ma’amar Mordechai (Beshalach), and then a learning from Rav Elchonon Wasserman הי"ד in his well-known publication Omer Ani Ma’asi Lamelech. When Bnei Yisrael left Egypt, they did so amid countless miracles. Upon being notified the people had fled, Pharoah mobilized his army to pursue them. A total of six hundred chosen chariots were rounded up to give chase, and captains alongside them. Bnei Yisrael, now being chased, consisted of 600,000 men. Clearly, they had the numbers to impede, if not defeat, the inbound chariots. According to the Gemara (Bechorot 5b), they may have had no weapons, but they did have many donkeys.
There was not one member of the Jewish people that did not have ninety Nubian donkeys with him, which were considered to be of superior quality, laden with the silver and gold of the Egyptians.
They could have set up roadblocks with those animals or tossed them onto each chariot from the side of the road or from atop a cliff. They had what to at least try fighting back with, yet instead they chose tefilla. They cried out to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for salvation. Moshe Rabbeinu then told Bnei Yisrael: Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show you today (Shemot 14:13). He told them not to worry. They should sit back after offering their tefilla and watch Hakadosh Baruch Hu fight on their behalf. Sure enough, Hakadosh Baruch Hu responded with instructions for Bnei Yisrael: Tell them to go forward!
Fast-forward one month, and we find Amalek launching an attack against Bnei Yisrael (Shemot 17:8-16). What did Bnei Yisrael need to do next? Surely, they needed to respond with tefilla once again – their winning formula! What did they do instead? They fought back! Yehoshua led the battle, and they defeated Amalek by sword. The same question we asked earlier regarding Avraham’s varied responses can, once again, be asked here. Why was there action, with soldiers and swords, rather than tefilla? Why was Moshe’s immediate response to mobilize and fight, whereas a month earlier, he advised calling out to Hashem and awaiting His mobilization?
With that, we’ve reached the sufganiyot! In the story of Channukah, Bnei Yisrael faced horrible decrees – that their Torah be forgotten, and Shabbat and Brit Milah eradicated. People were abandoning their religion everywhere, Elokim yatzileinu. Suddenly, twelve individuals stood up and fought back against hundreds of thousands of heavily armed Yevanim riding on elephants. Did they succeed? Absolutely! They destroyed them all through physical acts of battle after engaging with full acceptance of the grave risks that come with the job.
Now switch over to the story of Purim, where we once again find an enemy seeking to wipe us off the map. What was the response in Shushan and in all regions Jews lived? They fasted for three days, and they davened. Why didn’t they fight like the Chashmonaim? In Shushan there was only one person to take out – Haman, and he was easily accessible on the same streets he walked through daily seeking exaltation! This was a quick and simple job compared to who the Maccabim undertook to fight against!
After the victory of Chanukah, our takeaways are the lighting of candles and the offering of Hallel – praise to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The sufganiyot we eat aren’t prescribed in the Shulchan Aruch, nor in our healthy living guides. Ashkenazim added the minhag to eat just a bit (!) of oil, but that is meant to be on the side and merely a symbolic touch. And after the victory of Purim? We’re instructed to observe: Days of feasting and joy, and sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
Baruch Hashem, on Purim we eat, and we give gifts, and we receive both food and gifts in return! Example after example with confusing messages... When do we fight and when do we daven? When do we walk away with rewards and when do we walk away with nothing?
Rav Wasserman provides a magnificent answer. The general rule as to when we fight versus when we daven is based upon where the evil decree is directed. Is it...
