Our entire Torah portion, Lech Lecha, deals with Abraham our forefather, the first Jew. Abraham is one of the five possessions that the Holy One, blessed be He, acquired in His world, in the words of the Mishnah: “The Holy One, blessed be He, acquired five possessions in His world, and they are: the Torah is one possession; heaven and earth are one possession; Abraham is one possession; Israel is one possession; the Temple is one possession.”
It is clear that the whole world is the possession of the Holy One, blessed be He, since He created all of it and all of it is His. What, then, is the meaning of saying that He has specifically five possessions? We must also understand in what way Abraham was distinguished from the rest of the children of Israel. After all, the whole people of Israel is included in “Israel is one possession,” so why is Abraham considered a separate possession?
Revealing Ownership
The explanation lies in the precise wording: “Hashem acquired in His world.” It does not say “in the world,” but “in His world,” meaning a world that is His. The point is that the entire world is indeed G-d’s possession, but His ownership is not recognizable and emphasized in all created things. What is unique about these five is that they are G-d’s “possessions,” and through them His ownership over the world is made recognizable.
The Torah, even as it descended and was clothed in this world, is recognized as G-d’s Torah, the wisdom and will of the Holy One, blessed be He. So too the children of Israel, whose souls are “a veritable part of G-d above,” reveal the holiness of the Creator in the world. The Temple is indeed a house of wood and stones, but it is a dwelling place for the Divine Presence, and from it its light went out to the whole world.
The Quality of Eternity
Heaven and earth likewise reveal the Holy One, blessed be He, thanks to the quality of eternity that stands out in them. While the passing of the years is evident in all other creatures, which wear down and decay, the hosts of heaven are seen to be “as strong as on the day they were created.” And in the earth lies the power of growth, an expression of the infinity and eternity of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Yet, among all these that reveal the kingship of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the world, Abraham our forefather merits a separate and honored place. Every Jew is a “possession” of the Holy One, blessed be He, by virtue of his soul and the nature of his creation, but Abraham is considered a “possession” by virtue of his work and his actions. He publicized and revealed the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the world.
A Special Possession
Abraham our forefather lived before the giving of the Torah, and nevertheless he succeeded in instilling faith in the Creator of the world in the people around him. This power teaches of his wondrous bond with the Holy One, blessed be He. Not only was he unaffected by the whole world standing against him, he even succeeded in influencing people to recognize G-d and serve Him.
Therefore Abraham our forefather is considered a special “possession,” and as the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I consider it as though you were My partner in the creation of the world.”
Abraham bequeathed this power to all his descendants, and in his merit we too have the power to stand against the entire world and to reveal G-d’s name within it.
(the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichot, vol. 35)