In the Footsteps of Avraham
Rabbi Aryeh Citron
Parsha Halacha
Parshat Lech Lecha
In the Footsteps of Avraham
This week’s Torah portion speaks about the events in the life of our patriarch Avraham from the time when G-d told him to travel to the Land Of Canaan, until the time he circumcised himself.[1]
It is well known that Avraham’s most outstanding trait was that of kindness.[2] He so excelled in this characteristic that G-d’s own attribute of kindness proclaimed to G-d: “Master of the Universe, since the days Avraham has been on earth, I have not had to perform my task, because Avraham stands and serves in my stead.”[3]
Avraham’s Loving-Kindness
We see this trait of Avraham from the following events:
· Avraham and Sara were constantly teaching others to believe in the one G-d. By the time they left Charan to travel to Canaan, they already had a group of followers who went with them.[4]
· Avraham went to war, thus endangering his life and the life of his men in order to save his nephew Lot and his family from captivity.[5]
· Even when Avraham was in pain after his circumcision, he sat at the entrance of his tent, looking out for guests. When the three angels who appeared as men came, he insisted on feeding them himself.[8]
· When Avraham heard that G-d was planning to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Avraham spent a considerable amount of time[9] pleading on their behalf, despite the fact that the inhabitants were sinners.[10] Although G-d did destroy the cities, this prayer was beneficial in other ways.[11]
· Avraham prayed for the health of King Avimelech despite the fact that this king had abducted his wife Sarah.[12]
An Eternal Inheritance
Avraham internalized the trait of loving-kindness into his very nature.[13] As a result, this trait has been passed on to his descendants after him.[14] In the words of the Talmud: “Whoever has mercy on the creations, it is known that he is a descendant of our patriarch Avraham. Whoever does not have mercy on the creations, it is known that he is not a descendant of our patriarch Avraham. As the Torah says: ‘And He will give you mercy[15]…as He promised to your forefathers.’[16]”[17]
Merciless People May Not Marry into the Jewish People
The trait of kindness is so important that nations that display cruelty were not allowed to marry into the Jewish people. Several examples of this:
· When the Jews were passing by the lands of Amon and Mo’ab on the way to the land of Israel, these nations did not offer the Jews any food or water despite the fact that they were related to the Jews.. For this reason, G-d commanded: “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even the tenth generation shall never enter the assembly of the Lord. Because they did not greet you with bread and water on the way, when you left Egypt…”[18]
· In the days of King David, the Gibeonite family[19] demanded the death of seven of King Saul’s descendants as vengeance for his having caused the death of seven of their family members.[20] This indicated that they did not possess the attribute of compassion. King David therefore banned them from ever marrying into the Jewish people. He did not want the Jewish people to internalize this negative trait.[21]
· When looking for a suitable match for our patriarch Isaac, Eliezer, the servant of Avraham sought a girl who excelled in doing acts of selfless kindness.[22]
At Least One Favor a Day
· The Shelah writes that one should try to do at least one favor for another Jew every day.[23]
· The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, quoting his father the Rebbe Rashab, once said: “ A day in which one does not accomplish doing a Jew a spiritual favor and bringing them close to Torah, whether the revealed aspect of Torah or Chassidut, or to inspire them to fulfill the mitzvot ‘with pleasure,’ to encourage others to love their fellows and bring people’s hearts together, or a physical favor, whether by supporting someone or by doing an act of kindness, such a day is an ‘empty day.’ Even if one davened (prayed) as one should and learned (Torah) with enthusiasm, but (if) he did not merit to do a favor for a Jew, whether a physical or spiritual favor, such a day is a ‘dark day.’ And one must say a chapter of Tehillim (Psalms) with enthusiasm (as a prayer) that G-d should bless us with days that are successful in serving G-d in which one accomplishes (plenty).”[24]
· The following story is told by the elders of Jerusalem:
Rav Moshe Midner, one of the great Slonimer Chassidim, was once walking when a wagon pulled up alongside him and the occupant offered him a ride. When he refused, the occupant asked him to accept the ride “as a favor.” Rav Moshe wondered why his accepting the ride would be a favor for the owner of the wagon. The man explained that he once heard from his Rebbe, the Yesod Ha’Avodah (Rabbi Avraham Weinberg, the first Slonimer Rebbe zt”l) that: “a day that one doesn’t do a favor for a Jew, is not a day.” Since he had not yet done a favor for anyone on that day, he was seeking a Jew whom he could help. Rav Moshe agreed to accept the ride “as a favor.”[25]
A Tzadik who is Not Good
The Talmud says that a tzadik (righteous man) who is good for Heaven but is bad for his fellow man is considered a tzadik who is not good.[26] This means that although he is righteous in Mitzvot between man and G-d, if he does not also spend time helping and praying for his fellows, he is considered a tzadik that is “not good.”[27]
Helping Sinners
Our patriarch Avraham exhibited kindness even to terrible sinners when praying for the wicked citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah.[28]
In a similar vein, Rav Moshe Leib of Sassov once gave a large sum of money to a well-known sinner. When questioned about this, he explained: “If I give to a needy person despite his sins, G-d will give me heaps of blessings despite my sins.” (Rav Moshe Leib was of course an exemplary tzadik.)[29]
May G-d judge us all favorably and grant us all of the blessings, amen.
[1] Gen. chapters 12 - 17
[2] See Micha, 7, 20, Sefer HaBahir, Chapter 57
[3] Sefer HaPardes, Portal 22, ch. 4, in the name of the Sefer HaBahir, ibid, see HaYom Yom, Cheshvan 22, “On the Study of Chassidus,” Chapter 9
[4] See Gen. 12, 5 with Rashi
[5] See ibid, Chapter 14
[6] See ibid, 22, 33 with Rashi and Targum Yerushalmi, Sotah 10b The idea of first feeding and then teaching is reflected in the teaching of the Ba’al Shem tov that one should first help a Jew with a physical favor and only afterword try to influence them in spiritual matters
[7] See ibid, 10a, Gen. 18, 16 with Rashi
[8] See Kli Yakar that in this merit Avraham and Sara received the blessing to have a son in that year.
[9] It would seem that Avraham spent approximately a half a day praying to G-d on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. This can be inferred from the fact that before the angels left his house they made a mark on the wall as to where the sun would be at the time Isaac would be born (See Midrash HaGadol). Isaac was born at midday. (This can be inferred from the fact that the Jews left Egypt at midday [Ex. 12, 41] which was exactly 400 years after the birth of Isaac [see Rashi on ibid, Seder Olam, chapter 5]). So Avraham began his prayers soon after midday (see Gen. 18 verses 16 and 20). His prayer continued until evening time as we see that the angels slowed their journey to Sodom until evening so Avraham could finish his prayers (Rashi on ibid, 19, 1).
[10] Gen. 18, 23 - 33
[11] Some say that it was only in the merit of Avraham’s prayers that Lot was saved.
(I cannot find the source for this right now. If any of my readers knows it, please let me know [A Citron]. See also Ohr HaChayim, 18, 23.)
[12] Gen. 20, verses 7 and 17
[13] See Bereishit Rabbah, 47, 6, Tanya, chapter 18
[14] See Gen. 18, 19, Yevamot 79a
[15] I.e., He will give you the trait of being merciful.
[16] Deut. 13, 18
[17] Beitzah 32a with Rashi D.H. Ka’asher Nishba
[18] Deut. 23, 4 and 5
[19] This was a group of Cannanites who fooled Joshua into making a treaty with them (Joshua 9). Although he honored the treaty, he punished them for their dishonesty by declaring them servants in the Mishkan and the Holy Temple.
[20] See Samuel Two, 21. King Saul killed the Kohanim of the city of Nov because he believed that they had assisted his adversary, (soon to be King) David (See Samuel One, chapters 21 and 22 ). Seven of the Gibeonites who were servants in the Mishkan in Nov were killed at that time. Some say that since he deprived them of their livelihood (as they had previously worked in the Mishkan which was desolate when King Saul killed all of the Kohanim), it was considered as if he had killed them (Rashi on Samuel Two, ibid, 1).
[21] See Yevamot 78b and 79a
[22] See Gen. 24, 12 - 26
[23] This may related to the fact that Avraham insisted on finding guests even when he was ill.
[24] Igrot Kodesh MohaRayatz, vol 8, page 70 The letter was written to Reb Yankel Katz of Chicago, an outstanding Chossid of the previous and present Lubavitcher Rebbe.
[25] HaMa’ayan HaNitzchi, page 19
[26] Kiddushin, 40 a based on Isaiah 3, 1: “Say to a tzadik that he is good because he will eat the fruits of his labor.”
[27] See Tiferet Shlomo, 62, and 132
[28] See Gen. 18, 23 – 33 and Sefer HaBahir ibid
[29] HaMa’ayan HaNitzchi, page 506