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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Lech Lecha
The Torah surprises us with a special mission for our forefather Abraham, without explaining why. By Noah, for example, the Torah explains "These are the offspring of Noah – Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noah walked with G-d". However, in regards to Abraham the Torah does not explain why he was chosen.
Nachmanides (Genesis 12:2) describes the difficulty:
Now in this section Scripture does not elaborate on the entire subject at hand. For what would be the reason that the Holy One, Blessed in He, would tell Abraham, "Leave your land and I will bestow upon you goodness, the likes of which have never before existed in the world," without first stating that Abraham served G-d or that he was a wholly righteous person?
Our Sages dealt with this difficulty, and as a result explain that another story happened before choosing Abraham. A few verses before Lech Lecha that Torah says (Genesis 11):
Terah took his son Abram, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of Abram his son, and they departed with them from Ur Kasdim to go to the land of Canann; they arrived at Haran and they settled there.
What happened in Ur Kasdim? Our Sages tell us the well-known Midrash about Abraham who saw his father’s idols and broke them, despite endangering his life, and as a result they threw him into the fire and he was saved.
Nachmanides (Genesis 12:2; Genesis 11:28) explains that Abraham was chosen as a result of this story and as a result of the trials that G-d tested him and Abraham withstood them all.
However, the Maharal (Netzach Yisrael 11) explains differently:
It is surprising that Scripture does not mention before this that Abraham was a righteous person…
However, according to what we said there is no difficulty… since this selection was not dependent on any merit, and therefore it cannot be voided.
The Maharal explains that the selection of the Nation of Israel is a Divine selection, and a Divine decision, Who chose Abraham and his descendants, and is not related to Abraham’s previous deeds. This is not an individual selection of Abraham, but a selection of the Nation of Israel; a selection of Abraham and his descendants. G-d decided that Abraham’s descendants are suitable to be His representatives in the world, G-d put in these descendants a special quality which gives them strengths that enable them to keep G-d’s commandments in the world. Therefore, even if Israel sins, they still have within them the special inner quality and they are still the chosen nation. G-d does not say why He chose Abraham, in order to teach us that this is a selection which is not dependant on anything, and even if G-d forbid the Nation of Israel does not act properly they still remain G-d’s nation (but of course, when Israel does not act properly it does not succeed in using its special strengths, and is punished for its deeds. But even in such a situation, it still remains G-d’s nation).
The Sfat Emet brings a new and surprising explanation:
"Go for yourself" is said by G-d to all people always…and Abraham heard and accepted.
The call of "Go for yourself" is always echoing in the world. Since the creation of the world, G-d proclaimed how to do His will in the world. Since the creation of the world, G-d proclaimed a mission of going out to repair the world with G-d’s kingship. Abraham was the one who was ready to implement G-d’s call. Abraham was the first to go after the "Go for yourself" and really worked with all his might to uphold G-d’s will in the world.
The call of "Go for yourself" echoes until today. G-d says His will, G-d gives us missions to achieve and do good in the world, to do kindness, to keep the commandments, to learn Torah, to fill the world with good. We need to listen to that call. Whoever knows how to listen will hear G-d’s voice calling "Go for yourself", and will know to continue working and benefiting the Nation of Israel and the whole world.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
