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 and Avraham's Journey
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.
And right now as we are enduring one of the dark moments of Jewish history. So many of our brethren were brutally murdered and tortured. So many of our brothers and sisters are being held hostage by barbarians, worse than the wildest animals. It is a massive challenge and to some of us it may have aroused questions that are challenging our steadfast 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.
Lessons of Survival and Redemption
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. And even if we don’t see the clarity shortly, but with the arrival of Mashiach all our questions will be answered.
But I would like to add another two important points.
Rabbi Shamshon Refael Hirsch in his profound commentary on the Chumash brings an amazing explanation on this week’s Parsha.
At the end of the Parsha Hashem tells Avraham that he will merit a son. Avraham falls on his face and laughs (Vayitzchak). Hashem tells Avraham again that he will have a son and he should call him Yitzchak.
Tzechok, the root of the word Yitzchak means to laugh. However, Rav Hirsch explains that Tzechok isn’t an ordinary laughter. It is laughing at something that is impossible. If we were to joke about a mouse eating an elefant, it isn’t just funny, it’s impossible.
When Avraham fell on his face and laughed, it was that he didn’t believe Hashem. Of course he believed what Hashem told him. But at the same time he laughed because if he was one hundred and Sarah was ninety something impossible was about to happen.
Hashem tells him to call his son Yitzchak, following the same message, the birth of a child that was totally impossible.
Why did Hashem do this and why was this symbolized in Yitzchak’s name?
Rav Hirsch explains that Hashem was teaching Klal Yisrael a very important message, so applicable to us today.
There are many times during our history that we went through times that we had no chance of survival, we were on the verge of being wiped out completely and it was impossible for us to pull through.
But we did survive and we did pull through. Because Hashem’s answer to us is..
If you think that your survival is impossible, your actual existence and creation as a Nation was completely impossible too. But it happened, and Hashem made it happen this way to teach us that we were born impossibly and our survival is impossible but we will survive.
We are times that we think to ourselves how the world is so full of merciless Muslims who want to destroy us completely and we cannot rely on those that claim to be our friends. But with that fear we need to have Bitachon in Hashem who promised us that we will survive the impossible because that is the essence of Klal Yisrael a reality that is naturally impossible.
Finally, one more point.
Rav Yisrael of Husyatin Zt”l would say the following. Although we know that our final redemption will be with the arrival of Mashaich, however this is not enough for us as our ultimate redemption. The ultimate redemption is only complete after Hashem avenges the blood of every single Jew that was killed sanctifying Hashem’s name. And only after that happens is our redemption final and complete.
May Hashem have mercy on us that we merit to live the day and see with our own eyes the arrival of Mashiach and as we say Avinu Malkeinu, Our Father, our King, Nekom Le’eineinu, take revenge in front of our eyes, the revenge of the slain blood of all your servants.
And at the same time we must continue to daven to Hashem to have mercy on all the Jewish hostages that are enduring unbearable suffering at the hands of merciless animals. May Hashem have mercy on them that they all arrive home alive and healthy.
And maybe we can use the final words of the Haftarah of Shabbos Chazon, Veshaveha (can mean return and can mean captives) Bi’Tzeddaka and their captives will arrive home in the merit of Tzeddaka, giving charity! Amen
