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Avraham – Overview
Religious Identity
Journey to Belief
Though the Midrash 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.
- 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...וְהוּא 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 meansserving the highest god in a pantheon of many gods, or that "Elyon" was the name of a Canaanite god.1
Missionary?
Did Avraham attempt to convert others to belief in Hashem? Though Sefer Bereshit never explicitly presents Avraham as actively doping so, commentators point to several verses which might bear on the 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, and R"Y Bekhor Shor2 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 Resh Lakish in Sotah, Targum Pseudo Jonathon and R. Saadia, the planting of the Eshel was meant to encourage people to gather around Avraham, so he could teach them about Hashem. R"Y Bekhor Shor and Radak, in contrast, suggest that it related to the covenant with the Philistines.
