Avraham - The Prototype

Parshat Chayei Sarah 

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

Were the forefathers Jewish? Leaving aside the anachronistic usage of the term “Jew,” there are those who argue that while the forefathers were monotheists, calling them “Jewish” is a little disingenuous. The Torah hadn’t been given yet. The covenant of Sinai hadn’t been forged. And so, while they may have been the beginners of the family that came to be known as the Children of Israel, the faith that we now call Judaism hadn’t been formalized yet.

On the other hand, the Talmud claims the forefathers kept all the commandments of the Torah! (See Yoma 28b)

Notwithstanding the fact that during his lifetime Revelation is a few hundred years away, it can be argued that Avraham is the prototype of what it means to be a Jew. Consider this eulogy for Avraham, written by Rabbi Hertz, and inserted in his Chumash at the conclusion of Avraham's living presence in the Torah.

"He was the pioneer of the monotheistic faith. Undazzled by the heathen splendour of a Nimrod or a Hammurabi, he broke away from the debasing idol worship of his contemporaries and devoted his life to the spread of the world-redeeming truth of the One God of Justice and Mercy.

"He forsook home and family to brave unknown dangers because the voice of God bade him to do so; and, throughout his days, he showed that faith in God must manifest itself in implicit and joyful surrender to the divine will. He set an example to his children to sacrifice the dearest things in life, and, if need be, life itself, in defence of the spiritual heritage entrusted to their care. While he preached renunciation in the service of God, he practiced lovingkindness and truth towards his fellow men.

"Witness his magnanimity in his treatment of Lot; his fine independence in the refusal to accept any of the spoils won by the men of his household; his benevolence in the reception of strangers; his stand for justice, when pleading for the doomed cities; and his all-embracing human pity, which extended even to those who had forfeited all claim to human pity. Finally, the closing stage of his life shows his anxiety that the spiritual treasures he has acquired should be transmitted unimpaired through his son to future generations. Verily, he is the prototype of what the Jew should aim at being.

"The divine exhortation addressed to Israel is in Isaiah 51:1-2: 'Look at Abraham your father and at Sarah who bore you, for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed him and made him many.'"

Interestingly, Avraham is the only person referred to in the Bible as “Echad” – one; he's the only figure other than God to get such a title (see the Shema). In Ezekiel 33:24 we are told, "Son of man, the dwellers of these ruins on the soil of Israel speak, saying: Abraham was one, and he inherited the land, and we are many-the land has [surely] been given to us for an inheritance”

Avraham was Echad – He was the first, he was the innovator, he was the one who set the tone for what a Godlike existence could be, ought to be, is… essentially, what Rabbi Hertz called the prototype.

On the other hand, we have a different perspective about Avraham that should give us pause to think what our lives are about. Isaiah prophesied about a time when the needy will no longer need assistance. (Isaiah 29:20-24) In that section, the prophet throws in an aside, “Therefore, so said the Lord to the House of Jacob, Who redeemed Abraham…”

What could the verse be telling us when it says Avraham was redeemed by Yaakov?

The Midrash Rabba (63:2) tells us that “Avraham was saved from the fiery furnace on account of the merit of Yaakov." In other words, the Midrash explains, God knowing the future is what saved Avraham, because He knew Yaakov was to be born.

There are two choices we have in front of us when we think of modeling a life after Avraham:

The first is to be the first – or to model the path set for us by Avraham, each in our own way. I'm going to be an innovator. I'm going to connect with God on my terms. In my way.

The second is to take a moment to pause and reflect what purpose our lives serve.  Perhaps some of us should consider that we are here "in the merit of someone who descends from me, whom I may or may not meet in my lifetime. It is my duty to set a good example. To become a legacy that people speak fondly of, not only when I'm alive, but even moreso when I'm gone." It is the people who leave legacies who, like Avraham, find a way to live forever.

Avraham's life mission was to get close to God, to have a child with whom he could share his spiritual legacy, and to teach his children about righteousness and justice. There are movements today that call for Justice (in some cases referring to the non-prosecution for a crime), but they neglect to focus on the need for righteousness among the same people for whom they seek “justice.” This is disingenuous and does not promote for an advancement of society – only hurting the next victims of criminals and excusing those who could otherwise be making positive contributions to society were they to simply make better choices in life.

May we merit to live up to the two lessons we learn from Avraham. To continue the tradition set by Avraham, the prototype, in our relationship with God, and to live up to the legacy we are meant to transmit to those whose future existence may have redeemed our own existence.