Avraham/0/en

Avraham – Overview

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Overview

Avraham's life is a

Religious Identity

Journey to Belief

Though the Midrash38:13About Bereshit Rabbah shares stories of Avraham destroying his father's idols and being sentenced to death for his beliefs, we know nothing of his religious journey from Sefer Bereshit itself. Rambam and the Kuzari offer two possibilities, each in line with their own philosophical beliefs about attainment of faith:

• Intellectual inquiry – Rambam maintains that Avraham's belief was a product of his intellectual quest to understand the ways of the world.¹
• Tradition – R"Y HaLevi, in contrast, assumes that knowledge of Hashem was passed down through the generations, from Adam to Noach to Shem and finally to Avraham.

Uniqueness

Was Avraham's monotheism unique? This question depends on how one understands the phrase "וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם... כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן":

• Not Unique – Malkitzedek, and perhaps his followers, were monotheistic.
• The Midrash, and many sources in its wake, identify Malkitzedek with Shem, whose monotheism predated that of Avraham. 
• Radak, instead, allows for the possibility that Malkitzedek was an outsider, unrelated to Avraham in any way, who served only one God. Moreover, given that he was a king, it is possible that the entire city of Shalem was similarly monotheistic.
• Unique – Shadal, Netziv, and Hoil Moshe, in contrast maintain that being a "כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן" simply means serving the highest god in a pantheon of many gods, or that "Elyon" was the name of a Canaanite god.²

Missionary?

Did Avraham attempt to convert others to belief in Hashem? Though Sefer Bereshit never explicitly presents Avraham as actively doing so, commentators point to several verses which might bear on the question:

• הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן" – Sifre Devarim6:5About Sifre Devarim, Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 99bAbout the Bavli, and R. Elazar in Bereshit Rabbah39:1484:4About Bereshit Rabbah all suggest that this verse speaks of converting those in Charan. Most of the non-midrashic sources, in contrast, assume it refers to Avraham's slaves and maidservants.
• וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַי"י וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם י"י – While OnkelosBereshit 12:8About Targum Onkelos, RashiBereshit 12:8About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, and R"Y Bekhor ShorBereshit 13:4Bereshit 21:33About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor³ assume that this refers to personal prayer, Bereshit Rabbah39:16About Bereshit Rabbah and Ramban Bereshit 12:8About R. Moshe b. Nachmanmaintain that it refers to Avraham calling to others to worship Hashem. According to Ramban, it is possible that the altar was not meant for sacrifices but instead served as a monument to announce the unity of Hashem.
• וַיִּטַּע אֶשֶׁל... וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם בְּשֵׁם י"י – According to Resh Lakish in SotahSotah 10a-10bAbout the Bavli, Targum Pseudo JonathonBereshit 21:33About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and R. SaadiaCommentary Bereshit 21:33About R. Saadia Gaon, the planting of the Eshel was meant to encourage people to gather around Avraham so he could teach them about Hashem. R"Y Bekhor ShorBereshit 13:4Bereshit 21:33About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor and RadakBereshit 21:33About R. David Kimchi, in contrast, suggest that it related to the covenant with the Philistines and that the verse doe snot speak of missionary activities..

Avraham & Mitzvot

Did Avraham keep all the mitzvot?

• Yes
• Some

Tests of Faith

Unique Traits

Belief in Hashem

Chessed vs. Emet

Warrior

Possible Sins

Avraham in Egypt

Afflicting Hagar

Banishment of Yishmael

"במה אדע כי אירשנה"

Covenant with Philistines

Family Life

Marriage

Relationship to Yishmael

In the Arts

¹ See the similar intellectual discussion that Avraham holds with Nimrod in Bereshit Rabbah 38:13.

² See Hoil Moshe who  points out that if one posits that Malkitzedek and his whole town were monotheists, this would greatly lessen Avraham's importance and uniqueness

³ His comments are on Bereshit 13:4 rather than Bereshit 12:8.