by George Gazarek
This week’s Torah Portion opens with The Eternal telling Abram, “Lech lecha” – go forth –“to a land that I will show you,” to Canaan. Famine sends Abram down to Egypt, where he passes off his wife, Sarai, as his sister. After the Pharaoh discovers the scam, Abram leaves Egypt for the Negev. Abram’s nephew Lot moves out to the Jordan plain. Four enemy kings attack and defeat the five kings of the Jordan plain, taking Lot prisoner. Abram pursues and defeats the bad guys and rescues Lot.
God tells Abram he will have a child and that Abram’s descendants will spend 400 years in slavery in Egypt. Sarai, who is barren, sends Abram to the bed of her handmaiden, Hagar. But when gets pregnant, she incurs the jealousy of Sarai and runs away. God talks directly to Hagar, telling her to go back and to name her son Ishmael. The portion ends with God giving Abram and Sarai the new names Abraham and Sarah, establishing the covenant of circumcision, and telling Abraham he will have a son named Isaac.
So, we are introduced to Abraham this week at his age of 75. And in next week’s portion, he dies at the age of 175: One hundred years of his life and yet we only have two Torah portions to understand the patriarch of all Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Abraham’s greatest contribution to humanity was the idea of a single god. Many call Abraham was the first monotheist; however, some scholars believe that he believed in many gods but was fiercely loyal to the One God; the same scholars say Moses was the first true monotheist.
Abraham had a very personal relationship with God and even negotiated with God on occasion. His belief in God and his obedience to God were so complete that he would circumcise himself at the age of 99 and not think twice about sacrificing his son at God’s command. And yet, his faith in God was not complete. He fears for his life when entering Egypt and passes his wife off as his sister rather than relying on God’s protection.
What caused Abraham to dedicate himself to a single God when he lived in a world of many gods, we’ll never know. Did he look at the miracles of nature all around him and reason that there must be One Creator? Or did God really talk to him at the age of 75 telling him, “Lech Lecha,” go forth? What we do know from the text is that he believed that God was talking to him. He believed it so strongly that he would follow this God to the ends of the earth.
Have you ever believed in an idea that you would risk all you have to follow this idea? Most of us would say yes, for the idea of family; we would risk everything to protect our spouses and children. But what about an idea or concept that goes beyond family? Can you see yourself risking your life for someone outside your family or for a concept?
Shabbat Shalom