Weekly talk on the Parshah given by Moreinu v’Rabbeinu Hagaon Hatzaddik Rabbi David Chananya Pinto, shlita
"And he trusted in Hashem, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness" (Bereishit 15:6)
The verse mentions Avraham Avinu's perfect, heartfelt faith which Hashem considered as something outstanding. The question is, why is it regarded as something special? Surely Avraham Avinu would not believe in any other being! How does this show his greatness?
The answer is that there are two kinds of faith. There is someone who believes only in Hashem and has complete faith that He alone made, makes and will make everything; he understands there is none other than Him and everything emanates from Him. On the other hand, there is the person who is very active in different pursuits and so naturally also gives credit to his own power and capabilities. He does not ascribe results to Hashem alone.
This is what the verse wishes to stress when saying that Avraham believed in Hashem. It means to say that he believed in Hashem alone and not in anything else. He did not attribute success to his own powers or capabilities, even though he caused people to repent, and converted many of his townsmen (Bamidbar Rabba 14:11). This was Avraham Avinu's exceptional greatness and the reason why Hashem reckoned his faith as an act of righteousness.
Although we cannot remotely compare anyone to Avraham, let's consider the great scientist Albert Einstein who made many contributions to the world with his famous scientific discoveries. He is best remembered for facilitating the development of nuclear weapons and the atom bomb, and indeed, he accorded full credit to his great scientific powers and impressive talents. Similarly, the famous English scientist, Isaac Newton, contributed to the world with his breakthroughs in mathematics and optics by inventing the first telescope, and above all by discovering the law of gravity. There were others too who believed first and foremost in their own capabilities and powers; this is where their faith lay. Only towards the end of their lives did they come to the realization that all their scientific knowledge was nothing compared to Hashem Almighty, and admitted there is none other than Him.
Although there are a thousand distinctions, we must consider that already as a young child Avraham Avinu recognized there is none other than Him and the entire world is sustained by Hashem's word. After realizing clearly that Hashem is the only G-d, he achieved a level of faith way above anyone else.
The difference between Avraham Avinu and the other scientists we mentioned is that their main goal was how to further glorify their own name and raise their status in the eyes of the world, whereas Avraham Avinu had a different agenda. His constant wish was to elevate the great Name of Hashem in the world. Accordingly, he guided the people to convert and brought them closer to the Shechina.
Avraham Avinu's conduct imparts a lesson for life. Every single person can acquire belief and complete faith in Hashem; it all depends on a person's will and the effort he is willing to put forth. If a person has true faith and sincerely wishes to elevate Hashem's Name in the world, he will then succeed in instilling faith in Hashem in the hearts of others too and bring wayward people closer to the path of faith and Judaism.
Both the person who gives credit to his own capabilities and the one who does not know how to manage his life, should eradicate all foreign thoughts from his mind and believe in Hashem alone. This will grant him a good life in This World and the Next.
Above all, even someone who comes from a very ordinary and even disreputable family can strengthen his belief in Hashem and come closer to Him. No person should say, "My father/grandfather were corrupt, my family is corrupt, so I too am not worth anything and have no chance to change. I will forever remain wicked." This is simply untrue. Avraham Avinu himself was born to his father Terach who worshipped idols and did not educate his son to believe in Hashem. Despite this, on his own initiative Avraham Avinu toiled to acknowledge the Creator and serve Him, as it says (Yeshaya 40:26), "Raise your eyes on high and see Who created these [things]!" He even guided others to follow his path, bringing them closer to Hashem.
This teaches us that complete faith in Hashem is not 'hereditary'. It is the very personal mission of each individual to believe in Hashem and serve Him. There are those, like Avraham Avinu, who recognize Hashem already at a young age, while there are those who only merit to acknowledge the Creator at a later stage in life. There is also the one who does not fit into any of these categories and never attains belief in Hashem. This is the most unfortunate kind. Man must strive to serve Hashem without taking his circumstances, family, or other factors into account. The main thing is never to despair from repenting and drawing closer to Hashem. When he strengthens himself and truly wishes to believe in Hashem, Hashem will assist him in attaining his quest.
