Parshat Lech Lecha is the first of two Parshiot that address matters concerning Avraham Avinu, followed by two concerning Yitzchak Avinu and six for Yaakov Avinu. Unlike Parshat Noach, which discusses Noach’s family and his righteousness, our Parsha does not open with details about Avraham’s upbringing or his early activities. Instead, it begins with a command to pick up and move. Even the trials he had already faced – significant stories worthy of mention – are not included. The Midrashim all elaborate on these formative years and their rich narratives, but not the Torah. Why not? This is our question for today’s shiur.
In commanding Avraham, a double expression is employed – לֶךְ־לְךָ. Rashi explains that it was for his own benefit, but it’s noteworthy that even the final test, Akeidat Yitzchak, uses the same double expression. What significance is embedded in this language?
First, the verse begins with וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם, but later uses וַיְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ. Why start with a softer language (דִּבּוּר רַכָּה) and then switch to a harsher one (דִּבּוּר קָשָׁה)? The answer is that this shift was the essence of the test: Would Avraham go because of the promised reward – which he didn’t have in his current home – or would he go simply because he was commanded? It was the latter, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר אֵלָיו ה', aligning with the direction found in the Mishna (Pirkei Avot 1:3) not to follow a Rav in order to receive a פְּרָס (reward). The Ba’al HaTurim comments on the initial softer language of וַיֹּאמֶר, noting that this is the same word with which Hakadosh Baruch Hu created the world, through the עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת – the Ten Utterances, teaching us that the entire world was created in Avraham Avinu’s merit. The Midrash in Bereishit Rabbah (12:9) similarly teaches: בְּהִבָּרְאָם בְּאַבְרָהָם – the world was created on his account.
Returning to the Ba’al HaTurim, he continues by saying, when creating the world, the image of Avraham was before the eyes of Hakadosh Baruch Hu: הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים. We have previously mentioned that Sefer Zera Bareich teaches that when the angels argued against creating the world – since humanity would inevitably sin – Hakadosh Baruch Hu responded by telling them to just wait until Avraham would come into the world.
In next week’s Parsha, the Ba’al HaTurim comments on the Pasuk מָה הֵנָּה שֶׁבַע כְּבָשׂוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִצַּבְתָּ לְבַדָּנָה and explains that הִצַּבְתָּ appears in Tanach twice: once in this Parsha and again later in Tehillim, where it says אַתָּה הִצַּבְתָּ כָּל גְּבוּלוֹת אֶרֶץ. This indicates that in Avraham’s merit, all the boundaries of the world were established. Additional examples of this idea can be found in the Midrashim.
הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים
In Bereshit Rabbah (14:6), it says:
אֶת הָאָדָם, בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם, אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי: הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים, זֶה אַבְרָהָם. לָמָּה קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ גָּדוֹל, שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לְהִבָּרְאוֹת קֹדֶם לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, אֶלָּא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁמָּא יְקַלְקֵל וְאֵין מִי שֶׁיְבֹא לְתַקֵּן תַּחְתָּיו, אֶלָּא הֲרֵי אֲנִי בּוֹרֵא אֶת הָאָדָם תְּחִלָּה, שֶׁאִם יְקַלְקֵל יָבוֹא אַבְרָהָם וִיתַקֵּן תַּחְתָּיו.
Rabbi Levi said: “The greatest man among the giants” – this is Avraham. Why does it call him great? It is because he was worthy of being created before Adam. However, Hakadosh Baruch Hu said: ‘Perhaps he will bring ruin to the world and there will be no one to come along to remedy the damage that he had wrought. Rather, I will create Adam first, as if he brings ruin, Avraham will come along and remedy.’
Where was this תִּיקּוּן found? The Zohar explains that the sin of the עֵץ הַדַּעַת involved not only eating from the forbidden tree, which would be considered גֶּזֶל, but also included three additional sins: עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, and שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים – murder, idolatry, and illicit relations. The first sin was in believing the snake’s claim that Hakadosh Baruch Hu had eaten from the same tree and then created the world, fearing that others might do the same and become godly. If there had been a tree present before Hakadosh Baruch Hu, it would imply that He was not the רִאשׁוֹן and that there was another god besides Him. The second sin was that, through eating from the tree, death was introduced into the world, giving humanity a finite lifespan. The final sin lay in the snake’s approach to Chava from a relational perspective, thereby infecting her with its זֻהֲמָה – spiritual impurity.
The Zohar teaches that the Avot came to rectify these three sins. Avraham corrected the sin of idol worship by destroying his father’s idols and introducing monotheism to the world, even refusing to allow idol worshippers to enter his tent. Yitzchak addressed the sin of murder by willingly offering his neck atop the altar as a sacrifice. Yaakov corrected the final sin, as expressed in his statement כֹּחִי וְרֵאשִׁית אוֹנִי, referring to his purity.
Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin comments on this idea when Yaakov Avinu left Be’er Sheva on his way to Charan. Rashi notes that in his departure: פָּנָה הוֹדָהּ פָּנָה זִיוָהּ פָּנָה הֲדָרָהּ – all the city’s glory, splendor, and beauty departed as well. Why did these three qualities leave only when Yaakov left? It was because Yaakov had completed the correction of the three sins of Adam HaRishon, which the Avot collectively rectified. He embodied the completion of the Tikkun.
The Be'er Moshe of Ozharov comments on a Pasuk found in Sefer Yehoshua (14:15): וְשֵׁם חֶבְרוֹן לְפָנִים קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים הוּא וְהָאָרֶץ שָׁקְטָה מִמִּלְחָמָה׃ And the name of Chevron before was Kiryat Arba; this Arba was the biggest man among the Anaqim (giants). And the land had rest from war.
He says, it is Avraham Avinu referred to as הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים. He explains this based on the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 53), that the Navi Yechezkel states: הִגְבַּהְתִּי עֵץ שָׁפָל, referring to Avraham Avinu because he corrected the sin of Adam HaRishon involving the tree. How did Avraham rectify it? By placing a tree at the entrance of his tent and inviting all guests to rest under it. The tree would spread its leaves only over those who were not idol worshippers, signaling to Avraham that they could enter his tent. This served as a correction for the sin of idolatry related to the tree in Gan Eden.
He continues, explaining with the Pasuk גַּאֲוַת אָדָם תַּשְׁפִּילֶנּוּ – A man’s pride will humiliate him (Mishlei 29:23). When Adam sinned by eating from the tree, Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave him an opportunity to repent and perform Teshuva. An opening was created for him, but Adam’s pride and ego prevented him from taking responsibility for his mistake. As a result, he was shamed by Hakadosh Baruch Hu, being cast out of Gan Eden and reduced to a comparison with the dust of the earth. This is why Avraham is called הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים – with the extra letter heh before the word, signaling “THE man”, as Avraham was even greater than Adam HaRishon.
In Massechet Sofrim (21), it is noted that Avraham is called הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים because his height and consumption were equivalent to those of 74 men. The Vilna Gaon questions if such a thing is even possible and provides a beautiful explanation. He explains that there are types of eating known as אֲכִילָה לִקְדוּשָׁה, eating for holiness, such as consuming Terumot and Ma’asrot in Yerushalayim, the eating of Korbanot, and the meals Shlomo HaMelech ate during the festivities at the dedication of the Beit Hamikdash. However, there is an even greater form of eating: eating for 74 people. Where did this occur? When Hakadosh Baruch Hu commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to ascend Har Sinai, He instructed: אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲלֵה אֶל־ה' – totaling 74 people ascending the mountain. We’re later told: וַיַּחֲזוּ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ – They envisioned G-d, and they ate and drank. The Gemara in Berachot (17a) explains that they did not literally eat and drink; rather, the pleasure derived from witnessing the Shechina was as if they had eaten and drunk. The Vilna Gaon explains that when Avraham Avinu ate, he experienced a similar pleasure from the Shechina, akin to the pleasure experienced by the 74 individuals at Har Sinai.
In the commentary of Mikrah Sofrim on Masechet Sofrim, the idea of Avraham being equivalent to 74 people is explored in an intriguing way. After the generation of the flood, the world was rebuilt through Noach and his sons, from whom all nations descended. How many people were there from Noach until Avraham? Exactly 74: Noach and his three sons (4), Yefet and his sons (7), Gomer and his sons (3), Yavan and his sons (4), the sons of Cham (4), the sons of Kush (8), the sons of Mitzrayim (7), the sons of Canaan (11), the sons of Shem (5), the sons of Aram (4), the son of Arpachshad (1), the son of Shelach (1), the sons of Ever (2), and the sons of Yoktan (13). Adding these numbers gives a total of 74, and following this list, the Torah states: וּמֵאֵלֶּה נִפְצָה כָּל הָאָרֶץ, indicating that from these descendants, the earth was populated. Avraham Avinu was seen as equal to all of them, representing the culmination of the world’s renewal from the time of Noach until his arrival.
B’ezrat Hashem let’s continue this idea by connecting it to the story of Iyov. In Iyov, it says (1:1; 1:3): אִישׁ הָיָה בְאֶרֶץ־עוּץ אִיּוֹב שְׁמוֹ... וַיְהִי הָאִישׁ הַהוּא גָּדוֹל מִכׇּל־בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם׃ There was a man in the land of Uz named Iyov... That man was wealthier than anyone in the East.
Fully understanding Iyov, his role, and his purpose in the world would require multiple shiurim, but here we’ll focus on one small aspect. Rashi explains: גָּדוֹל מִכָּל בְּנֵי קֶדֶם – greater than the Dor Haflaga, the generation of the Dispersion. Iyov was greater than all of them, yet not greater than Avraham.
The Pasuk we referenced earlier should have said אָדָם גָּדוֹל, but instead it uses הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל, with two extra letters heh present – 5 + 5 = 10, to reference Avraham Avinu, who passed ten tests from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Iyov, on the other hand, is only referred to as גָּדוֹל and not הַגָּדוֹל, as he passed only one test. Iyov’s test was his resilience despite his wife urging him to give up through the cursing of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and dying. Although he refrained from sinning with his lips, Chazal note that in his heart he harbored doubts and questioned Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s ways.
In Pesikta Rabbati (Acharei Mot 47), it says that after Aharon’s two sons died, he held no complaints or arguments toward Hakadosh Baruch Hu, as reflected in the phrase וַיִּדֹּם אַהֲרֹן – Aharon was silent. Perhaps one might think this restraint was merely external and that Aharon harbored internal grievances. However, this was not the case, as Hakadosh Baruch Hu immediately granted him the Parsha of שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן – the prohibition against drinking wine before performing the Avodah in the Beit Hamikdash. This indicates Aharon’s heart was free of resentment; otherwise, the Shechina would not have revealed the matter to him. Pesikta Rabbati continues: אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֶׁנָּגְעוּ בּוֹ יִיסּוּרִים וְכָבַשׁ (רַחֲמָיו) [כַּעֲסוֹ] וְלֹא קָרָא תַּגָּר אַחַר מִדַּת הַדִּין .וּכָבַשׁ כַּעֲסוֹ וְלֹא קָרָא תַּגָּר אַחַר מִדַּת הַדִּין לְמִידָה גְּדוֹלָה וּמְשֻׁבַּחַת הָיָה בָּא אִילּוּ אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּאוּ יִיסּוּרִים עַל אִיּוֹב.
Blessed is the person who has been afflicted with suffering, subdued (his compassion) [his anger], and did not protest against the attribute of justice, but since suffering came upon Iyov, if he had subdued his anger and not protested against the attribute of justice, he would have attained a great and praiseworthy quality.
Consider these words: Iyov intended to bring Hakadosh Baruch Hu to trial. In Parshat Mishpatim, there is a mashal of a man who harbored many grievances against the king, constantly throwing stones, kicking dirt, and cursing whenever he spoke of the king. This went on until one day he was summoned before the king. Upon seeing the king’s royal splendor and observing his methods of punishment, the man quickly apologized, saying, “Forgive me, your majesty; I was drunk.” Similarly, Iyov’s attitude shifted as soon as Hakadosh Baruch Hu began speaking to him, and the thought of bringing Him to trial was immediately abandoned.
From this, we learn the profound value and gift of withstanding tests. With that in mind, let’s explore an idea from Rav Shlomo Kluger in his sefer Magen Avot. We begin with the Mishna in Avot (5:3): עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִתְנַסָּה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם וְעָמַד בְּכֻלָּם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה חִבָּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם:
With ten trials was Avraham, our father, tried, and he withstood them all; to make known how great was the love of Avraham, our father, peace be upon him.
Why was Avraham tested with ten tests? What is the significance of number ten?
Let’s begin by pointing out that each of the Avot is referred to as such – Av or Avinu – because they faced and passed tests. Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not give the title Av to one who has not undergone and succeeded in trials. Chazal teach that David HaMelech asked Hakadosh Baruch Hu why Bnei Yisrael do not recite Elokei David in their Tefillot, and he was told that it was because the Avot were tested while he was not. David then requested a test, saying: וְנַסֵּנִי בְּחָנֵנִי ה', and Hakadosh Baruch Hu obliged. However, David did not withstand the trial. Though he is one of the legs of the Merkava, we do not reference him as one of the Avot or say Elokei David. Instead, he was given the title Magen David, which we reference in the Berachot recited after the Haftarah. Chazal further say that had Iyov passed the tests given to him, he would indeed have been referred to as one of the Avot, and we would recite Elokei Iyov in our Tefillot.
Rav Shlomo Kluger asks why Avraham underwent ten tests. While we can understand why there were ten plagues – so we could ask the Egyptians how it all went and have them reply “Eser!” – why ten tests for Avraham? It is significant to note that the Avot collectively endured every possible type of test. Avraham was given ten, but Yitzchak and Yaakov fewer. Yitzchak’s tests included Akeidat Yitzchak, Rivkah’s infertility, the challenges of raising his son Eisav, and enduring 57 years of blindness. Yaakov Avinu also faced many tests, though fewer than ten: enduring Eisav from their time sharing a womb, Lavan’s deception, the untimely death of Rachel, raising a newborn alone, the violation of his daughter, and the apparent loss (or death, as he believed) of his son. Only Avraham Avinu reached the shleimut – completeness, of passing ten tests. Why not divide the tests equally among the three Avot? What is the significance of the number ten for Avraham Avinu?
Another question Rav Kluger poses is why Avraham is the first to receive the title Avinu. Noach was righteous, Metushelach as well. Chanoch was taken to Heaven by Hakadosh Baruch Hu and never experienced death. Shem, the greatest Rosh Yeshiva of his time, taught all the Avot. Yet, none of them were given the title Avinu like Avraham.
Additionally, why is Avinu introduced here in this Mishna discussing the עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת, while the previous Mishna, which also references Avraham – עֲשָׂרָה דּוֹרוֹת מִנֹּחַ לְאַבְרָהָם – does not refer to him as Avraham Avinu? Why does the title appear specifically in the context of the ten tests?
Rav Shlomo Kluger also questions the phrase used to describe Avraham’s success in these tests: עָמַד בְּכוּלָּם – withstood them all. Why not use a term like עָבַר אֶת כּוּלָּם, implying that he overcame or passed them and emerged on the other side? Why specifically stood up through them?
Finally, he questions the connection to the closing words of the Mishna: לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה חִבָּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ – to make known the love for Avraham Avinu. How is administering difficult tests an expression of affection? Would it not seem more fitting, if the love is so great, to spare someone from such tests and struggles?
All these questions are posed by Rav Kluger, and I would now like to present his response, which will also serve as an introduction for next week’s shiur, as the ten tests are divided between the two Parshiot. He writes: Know that a person who is tested with trials is a sign that Hakadosh Baruch Hu loves him. When one undergoes challenges and tests, do not resist them as Iyov did, but rather recognize that they are a sign of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s love for you. The number of tests a person receives corresponds to their level of greatness and affection.
He poses a challenging perspective. If someone is ill, do we say they are ill because Hakadosh Baruch Hu loves them intensely? Or if they are impoverished, do we say it’s because Hakadosh Baruch Hu loves them so much that He took away all their wealth? This seems counterintuitive, yet Rav Kluger suggests just that. He says, the title Avinu is only introduced in the Mishna with Avraham’s tests because we follow Avraham and not figures like Noach, Metushelach, or Shem, due to Avraham’s unique status as one unable to have children.
Children involve a spiritual transmission from a parent. As the Mishna states (Eduyot 2:9): הָאָב זוֹכֶה לַבֵּן, בַּנּוֹי, וּבַכֹּחַ, וּבָעֹשֶׁר, וּבַחָכְמָה, וּבַשָּׁנִים. The father transmits to the son beauty, strength, wealth, wisdom and years.
If Avraham were simply the son of Terach, he would have inherited Terach’s qualities and traits, i.e., those of an idol worshiper. Hakadosh Baruch Hu therefore made Avraham infertile, breaking the chain and creating a separation from his father’s legacy of spiritual impurity. Avraham thus became a new creation, independent of his father Terach.
Rav Yitzchak Isaac Chaver, in Siach Yitzchak, explains that the name אדם represents not only אברהם דוד משיח but also אברהם דוד משה. This is because these three came into the world following a state of yei’ush (despair) and were born fresh. The name אדם thus signifies a new creation.
Avraham’s experience in Ur Kasdim further illustrates this transformation. Sent to Ur Kasdim, an unapproachable place of intense fire, Avraham was thrown into the furnace. As described, they would hurl individuals toward the flames using a strong elastic cord, similar to a bungee, launching them like a projectile into the fire from a distance due to its overwhelming and unapproachable heat. The Gemara in Menachot teaches: כָּל הָעוֹמֵד לִשְׂרוֹף נָמֵי כְּשָׂרוּף דָּמֵי – one who is sentenced to be burned is as if they are already consumed. Avraham emerged from this ordeal as a new being, marking his spiritual rebirth as a distinct creation, unconnected to his father, Terach.
When David HaMelech was born, he was destined to live only three hours, but Adam HaRishon gave him seventy years of his own life. David HaMelech was also a descendant of Lot, from whom nothing was initially supposed to emerge. Lot’s entire city, Sedom, and its wicked inhabitants were destroyed by flames. Lot was saved, and in a cave – where his daughters believed the world had once again been destroyed – they found well-aged wine, set aside during the six days of Creation. Believing the world was obliterated and humanity extinct, they would have had no inclination to bring children into the world. Without the influence of intoxication, the events that led to the birth of Lot's descendants would not have unfolded. Thus, the Pasuk says: מָצָאתִי דָּוִד עַבְדִּי – Where was he found? In a cave outside Sedom, after a state of complete יֵאוּשׁ (despair).
Like Avraham, David was a metziah – a discovery – as was Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe was born to Yocheved at age 130 and, after three months, found himself floating in the Nile. Was there any realistic chance of survival? None. The Egyptians, based on their visions, informed Pharaoh that Moshe, the future redeemer of Bnei Yisrael, was gone. Perhaps their radar only captured items moving at high altitudes, missing those flying in from down low. From this point onward, Moshe Rabbeinu’s life became a new discovery.
Avraham faced the impossible in surviving the furnace of Ur Kasdim, David was born with only three hours to live (after being conceived by a man in a drunken state in what seemed like a destroyed world), and Moshe was a miraculous birth, left for dead in the water. Each of these figures represents a discovery against all odds, a new beginning of life.
Returning to Rav Shlomo Kluger’s idea, he explains that Avraham was not destined to be born naturally with continuation from his father and onto his child. At the Brit Bein HaBetarim, Avraham said to Hakadosh Baruch Hu: “Ribbono Shel Olam, I have no children. Who will inherit from me – my servant Eliezer?” Hakadosh Baruch Hu replied, “The one who comes from you will inherit,” and instructed him to step outside and try to count the stars. Rashi explains that, literally, this meant stepping outside his tent to gaze upward, but figuratively, it meant stepping outside his own perception that he could not have children.
Following this moment, Avram’s name was changed to Avraham. Avram could not have children, but Avraham could. His Mazal, which was originally in the constellation of Tzedek (Jupiter), was shifted from the cold west to east, enabling him to have children. This idea is expressed in the Haftarah we will read this week: מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח צֶדֶק
