Marcheshvan 17, 5777/November 18, 2016
Avraham avinu's (our patriarch Avraham) life was full of trials. G-d kept testing the limits of Avraham's faith in Him. Each test seemed to push Avraham one step further, ultimately culminating in the great test of the binding of Yitzchak. Why was G-d testing Avraham? Was He expecting Avraham to fail? Or to take a stand and say "No further, G-d. I refuse to be submitted to yet another test?"
Avraham, on the other hand, often questioned G-d's actions, or expressed some doubt as to the viability of G-d's promises to him. Avraham argued with G-d , albeit with great deference, over the fate of the inhabitants of Sodom. Avraham asked G-d more than once if he will ever have children and proposed his servant Eliezer as his heir to the inheritance G-d promised him, despite G-d's steady insistence that Avraham would indeed have progeny.
When G-d said to Avraham, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, yea, Yitzchak, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you." (Genesis 22:2), Avraham feigned ignorance as to G-d's command. According to our sages the conversation went like this: G-d : "Please take your son," Avraham: "I have two sons," G-d : "your only one," Avraham: "Yishmael is the only son of his mother Hagar and Yitzchak is the only son of his mother Sara." G-d : "whom you love." Avraham: "I love both my sons." G-d : "Yea, Yitzchak."
Back and forth, G-d and Avraham seem to be testing one another. What is the limit of Avraham's love for and faith in G-d . What is the limit of G-d's love for and faith in Avraham? But the relationship between Avraham and G-d is anything but antagonistic or incredulous. On the contrary, the back and forth, give and and take choreography of their relationship is a sign of great intimacy.
To paraphrase a modern expression of unfettered love, G-d had Avraham at "lech lecha - go forth," (ibid 12:1) and as we read in the prophet Isaiah 41:8, G-d refers to Avrahamas "Avraham My love."
G-d had been searching for man ever since he called to Adam on the Garden, saying, "Where are you," and Avraham had been searching for G-d ever since he worked in his father Terach's idol shop as a young man, and wondered out loud at the senselessness of idolatry. And in truth, G-d walked with Avraham, hand in hand. All that He asked of Avraham, Avraham did. All that He promised Avraham, He fulfilled.
So why the elaborate dialogue of doubt and questioning of intentions? The great unshakable faith Avraham had in G-d has, indeed, been a constant source of inspiration for Avraham's progeny throughout the millenia. But is inspiration enough to carry Avraham's children through the fiery furnace of every adversity and bone-crushing test of faith they have endured throughout the generations? Can we constantly derive and renew our faith simply by saying, "well, Avraham was a man of great faith, and so too must we be?" The unprecedented intimacy and perfect faith embodied in the Avraham - G-d relationship needed more to transform it into an eternal love, not just between one man and his G-d , but between every man and G-d . Torah's descriptions of the mutually expressed doubts and tests in the Avraham - G-d relationship is its way of hard-wiring Avraham's unwavering faith in G-d and G-d's untiring love for Avraham into the very spiritual DNA of Avraham's children forever.
The story of Avraham serves for his children a proper context and unfailing response system when they themselves are experiencing crises in faith. When we question whether we really have the stuff that G-d is looking for and counting upon, we are immediately reminded that Avraham himself questioned whether he had what it takes. When we begin to doubt G-d's promise we are immediately reminded that Avraham also expressed moments of doubt. Tapping into this common memory, we release an adrenaline-like shot of reinforced faith and redoubled determination.
The great love between Avraham and G-d is a spiritual covenant that we, his children, inherit at the moment of conception, never to be shaken, never to be shattered. This is the blessing of Avraham, given him by G-d upon their first recorded encounter: "And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you." (ibid 12:2-3)
-The Temple Inastitute
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