In
this week's Parsha the Torah introduces us to the personality of
Avraham our forefather. And in the introduction to this weeks Parsha
we are told about the test that G-d charged to Avraham Avinu. The
Torah tells us G-d said to Avraham: “Go for yourself from your land,
from your relatives, and from your father's house to the land that I
will show you. And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless
you, and I will make your name great and you shall be a blessing”.
This
charge of "Go for yourself" was a test that G-d put forth
to Avraham. But according to many commentators this was not the first
test that Avraham was charged with. Rather, we find that the first
test Avraham encountered was the test in Ur Kasdim where he was faced
with either betraying his faith or death. Avraham choice was to
sacrifice his life and jump into the fire. Yet, we do no't find this
test mentioned anywhere in the Torah itself, rather it is alluded to
"And He said to him: I am the L-rd who took you out from Ur
Kasdim..." Rashi points out that the name Ur Kasdim alludes to
the miraculous salvation of Avram when thrown into a fiery pit for
refusal to pay homage to the prevailing idols
of
his society. The question is why? Why is the test of “Lech Lecha”
chosen as the introduction of the character of Avraham, rather than
the first test of sacrificing his life for his faith, of which we
only know about from the Rabbinic sources.
We
find regarding Bilaam; the gentile prophet, that he prayed and
requested from G-d that “Let me die the death of the
righteous” The commentators explain that Bilaam was referring to
the death of our forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, that he
should be meritorious to receive a share in the world to come. The
Chofetz Chaim is quoted saying that Bilaam's only desire the death of
the righteous, but not the life of one. For there is no challenge to
die Al Kiddush Hashem, in the glorification of G-d's name, rather the
challenge is to live
life in the glorification of G-d's name. This life Bilaam
did
not want to do, he did not want to live a life that was a
glorification of G-d, rather he wanted the easy way out, of dying the
death of a glorification of G-d, reaping all the benefits of a Godly
life without the effort it entails.
This
does not, G-d forbid, mean to belittle the death of someone who dies
in the sanctification of G-d, for as we know, those who have died in
His sanctification reside in the highest realms of Heaven. Rather,
this means
to say that Judaism places a higher value on living a life of 80, 90
and hopefully 120 years which consists of a daily process of growth.
For life is inherently fraught with highs and lows, of moments of
clarity and of darkness, moments of challenges to our faith and our
fealty to His laws. And when we overcome and grow through those
difficulties and reach out to become more G-dly we are playing an
active role of raising the material world to the level of the divine.
That is a much more difficult proposition.
Perhaps
with this we can now approach our question. The true introduction
that the Torah wants us to have, that will set forth the true
understanding of the essence of who Avraham was and lived for, can
only be viewed through the prism of the test of “Lech Lecha”. The
test of Lech Lecha that Avraham was faced was the test of making a
decision that would alter his life and his future forever. Avraham
was faced with taking on a new identity, of leaving his familiar
surroundings, his land and his father's
household.
He was charged with the challenge of wading out alone in
a
world that so heavily valued tribal clans and the patriarchal system.
He was faced with making a decision, and coping with the real life
ramifications that his decision created. The true test of Avraham
Avinu was having the strength to choose a life that would require
tremendous adjustments, and to live it to its fullest despite, and
even through the pain and difficulty that it would produce.
This
is the greatness of Avraham Avinu, and this is the message that Torah
wants us to inculcate as we learn about our Forefathers. Jumping into
the fires in defense of his belief in G-d was an amazing act. But if
we first told of this event we could walk away without learning the
true greatness of Avraham Avinu, that he chose a life despite its
difficulties. For
the irony is, that when one dies Al Kiddush HaShem, they don't have
to “live” with the consequences of that decision.
This
message would also set forth for us what is the essence of our people
and the desire of our G-d. This desire for a Divine life is
what separates
us from the evil blood thirsty terrorists; who claim to be the
spiritual heirs of Avraham, for death is not what we live for or
desire. We live for a life is on a higher plane. To have lives that
make a difference in the world, and have an effect that speaks
volumes, a pitch higher
than
any death can reach.
Life is fleeting, but we
can rise above those limitations when we live a divinely inspired
life, for that connects us to the infinite, it makes life into
something which is beyond time and beyond space.
May
we all live truly divinely inspired lives despite the tremendous
darkness that has been cast upon us, and may we merit to see the
Divine Presence and protection upon our people soon in our days.
Amen.
Shabbat
Shalom
