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Avraham – Overview
Unique Traits
Belief in Hashem
- Did Avraham convert others? Sefer Bereshit never explicitly presents Avraham as actively converting others to monotheism, yet commentators point to several verses which might bear on this question:
- "הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן" – Sifre Devarim, Bavli Sanhedrin, and R. Elazar in 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 Onkelos, Rashi, Ibn Ezra and R"Y Bekhor Shor assume that this refers to personal prayer, Bereshit Rabbah and Ramban maintain 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 Hashem's unity.
- וַיִּטַּע אֶשֶׁל... וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם בְּשֵׁם י"י – According to Sotah, R. Saadia and the planting of the Eshel was meant to encourage people to gather around Avraham, so he could teachthem about Hashem.
- Was Avraham's monotheism unique? Malkitzedek
- How did Avraham arrive at belief in Hashem?
- Akeidat Yitzchak
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