Does
Avraham ever become ANGRY? Exasperated?
There
is one episode we read this week that seems to show Avraham FURIOUS for really
the only time in the Torah.
Avraham
has just returned from doing battle in the war of the 4 Kings vs. the 5
Kings. He has saved the King of Sedom,
his nephew Lot, and all their belongings.
And
it is at that moment that the King of Sedom says to Avraham:
(כא) וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם
אֶל אַבְרָם תֶּן לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻשׁ קַח לָךְ:
Give
me the people, and you can take the money!
It
seems to be a reasonable offer. After
all, Avraham had just saved the day.
And
yet, Avraham is INCREDULOUS:
(כב) וַיֹּאמֶר
אַבְרָם אֶל מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם הֲרִמֹתִי יָדִי אֶל יְקֹוָק אֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם
וָאָרֶץ:
I
have lifted my hands to Hashem, the Creator of heaven and Earth.
(כג) אִם מִחוּט
וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ נַעַל וְאִם אֶקַּח מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ וְלֹא תֹאמַר אֲנִי הֶעֱשַׁרְתִּי
אֶת אַבְרָם:
I
won’t even take a SHOELACE from all you have, so you should NEVER be able to
say “I made Avraham rich!”
And
the question is: Why such a strong
response? What did the King of Sedom do
that was so offensive?! It seems like a
nice offer!
Rav
Soloveitchik offers a beautiful explanation of this episode. He notes that really, this story is the final
of three episodes that take us through Avram’s early days in Eretz Canaan.
Because
Avram actually experienced 3 Disappointments as he began to find his way,
trying to actualize the command of Lech Lecha:
Let’s
begin with the first:
When
Avraham is commanded Lech Lecha, to go to Eretz Canaan, he is also given the
promise that V’nivrichu b’cha kol mishpichos Ha’Adama, that all the nations of
the world would be blessed through him!
And
so, Avraham sets out to do what he believes Hashem wants from him: To convert all the nations of the world to
MONOTHEISM. So, he sets out to do
“Kaasher Diber Elav Hashem”, to do that which he believes Hashem wants from
him.
And
in order to fulfill this mission, Avraham also brings Sarai, Lot, and HANEFESH
ASHER ASU B’CHARAN, presumably the people he had already influenced in his time
in Charan.
The
Torah continues to tell us that Avraham travelled all around “Vayaavor Avraham
Ba’Aretz…” and the people he tried to influence,
“V’HaCanaani Az Ba’Aretz”, he brought his message to the
Canaanites.
And
at one point, Hashem stops Avraham and tells him “Lzaracha eten es haAretz
HaZos” I’m going to give this land to
your children.
However,
argues the Rav, at first Avraham thought Hashem meant his “spiritual
descendants” his students. After all,
until this point in his life, that’s the only type of descendants Avraham had. So Avraham builds a mizbeach, thanking
Hashem, and is now galvanized to continue his mission.
And
so, he pushes southward towards Egypt, the center of civilization at the
time. Hashem even allows Avraham to go
ALL THE WAY TO EGYPT by sending a famine.
Yet,
when Avraham arrives he sees how depraved the people are. With the King of Egypt willing to steal his
wife.
And
so, dejected at having been unsuccessful at convincing ANYONE to follow his
ways of monotheism, Avraham leaves Egypt, and goes all the way back to that
original mizbeach.
Disappointment
number one: Civilized society is not interested in his message.
And
this sets the stage for Avraham’s SECOND DISAPPOINTMENT. Because, if an entire society won’t follow in
his ways, at least the one person who has grown up in his home, LOT, should be
able to be his heir apparent. And we
know, that instead Avraham watches as Lot becomes enamored with wealth, loses
his way, and eventually moves to SEDOM, the most depraved of the cities in
Canaan.
But
Avraham doesn’t give up. He moves to
Elonei Mamrei, and soon after, he hears that Lot is in trouble and goes to war,
and he is wildly successful.
And
so, Avraham says to himself: This is my
chance! Maybe now the people of Canaan,
of Sedom, whom I saved with my own army, will be willing to listen to my
message! And instead, the King of Sedom
says to Avraham:
]וַיֹּאמֶר
מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם אֶל אַבְרָם[ תֶּן לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻשׁ
קַח לָךְ:
Give
me the people, and you take the money.
And
these words STING Avraham so badly.
Why?
Remember,
what is Avraham’s only wish? To IMPACT
THE PEOPLE OF CANAAN, to replicate HANEFESH asher asu b’Charan. To influence people’s souls!
And
to this, the King of Sedom responds: “TEIN LI HANEFESH”. Avraham, leave the people to me. They don’t want your spirituality! They want to live with me!
But
even worse, he tells Avraham, “V’Harechush Kach lach!” I know what your in this for anyways, the
MONEY! So, take it and go!
And
this is why Avraham becomes FURIOUS! And
he responds:
](כב)
וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם[ הֲרִמֹתִי יָדִי אֶל יְקֹוָק אֵל
עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ:
You
don’t understand me at all! All of the
work I have put in, has been for ONE REASON: to elevate the understanding and
recognition Hashem, the Creator of heaven and Earth!
And,
therefore, he responds:
(כג) אִם מִחוּט
וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ נַעַל וְאִם אֶקַּח מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ וְלֹא תֹאמַר אֲנִי הֶעֱשַׁרְתִּי
אֶת אַבְרָם:
I
won’t TAKE A PENNY! Because you should
NEVER think I was in this for anything else that Kavod Shamayim!
This
Avraham’s 3rd, and most UPSETTING DISAPPOINTMENT.
And
it is at this moment that HKBH shows up again and He tells Avraham: DON’T WORRY! I’m going to take care of you, and you’re
going to have a CHILD who will be your legacy!
And
it is at this point that Hashem makes a covenant with Avraham about his
children, grandchildren, and future nation which will, indeed, heed his message
and bring it to the ENTIRE WORLD. Hashem
doesn’t promise Avraham it will be EASY.
In fact, He promises him it WON’T BE EASY. But He also promises that even after all the challenges,
they will emerge, and they will be a people in that VERY LAND in which he was
standing.
Avraham’s
experience was so painful and so frustrating, yet it also provided the
framework for beginning his real mission: To grow a family and eventually
a people that would bring the light of faith, ethics, and morals to a world
that was so deeply missing them.
We
come to another Shabbos this week with more turmoil locally and in the world
and more hatred of our people once again. The horrible images coming out of
Amsterdam of Jews literally being hunted in the streets are unfortunately not
that shocking. And we experienced a new
low here in Bergen County, with a protest taking place in front of the home of
Jewish family in Bergenfield who dared to host friends to learn about the
mitzvah of Aliyah.
But responded
as Avraham would: Willing to be Ivrim,
standing on one side while so many seem to stand on the other. And we did so with chesed, being there for
each other.
In
Amsterdam, El Al funded planes to rescue all of the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and
bring them safely. And Chabad in
Amsterdam welcomed in all who needed a meal, a bed, and, of course, a pair of
tefillin.
And right
here in Bergen County, we activated the community, as we have become accustomed
to doing, to rise and defend ourselves and each other. And, of course, with sponsored cholent and potato
kugel. And I will say, that we will not
continue to allow the status quo to be maintained. We will continue to work with our partners in
local government to make sure these protests come to an end. We will not remain silent while Jews are not
allowed to live their lives freely and securely in our own town.
But
we have one more thing that Avraham had too: A Promise. A promise that if we stay true to ourselves,
refusing to run and hide, but rather to continue to stand tall and proud,
V’Nivrichu b’echa kol mishpichos ha’Adama, that eventually, our message will
get through.