Avraham/0/en
Avraham – Overview
Overview
AvrahamReligious 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.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 similarly monotheistic.
- The Midrash, and many sources in its wake, identify Malkitzedek with Shem, whose monotheism predated that of Avraham (and, as mentioned above, who might have himself led Avraham to belief).
- 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. Hoil Moshe emphasizes that Avraham's importance lay in the very fact that he was the sole monotheist, so it is inconceivable that others worshiped similarly.
Avraham & Mitzvot
Did Avraham keep all the mitzvot? The issue has been hotly debated for generations. On one hand, Avraham lived centuries before the Torah was given and many of its laws would be meaningless to him, suggesting that he did not keep them. On the other hand, it seems paradoxical to conceive of the founder of a religion not observing even its most basic commandments. This leads to a variety of approaches to the question: [For a full discussion of the issue, see Avot and Mitzvot – Was Avraham the First Jew.]
- Full Observance – See Mishna Kiddushin, Tosefta Kiddushin, Bereshit Rabbah, Bavli YomaBereshit 26:5 and Rashi who suggest that Avraham kept the entire Torah, and according to some, even the Oral Law.
- No Observance – See Tosafot Rid, R. Avraham b. HaRambam, and R. Yosef ibn Kaspi who claim that Avraham observed what was specifically commanded to him by Hashem in Sefer Bereshit, but not other laws later given in the Torah. His greatness lay in his monotheistic belief and exemplary moral behavior, but not in ritual observance.
- Partial Observance – Rashbam suggests that only rational mitzvot which relate to a moral ethic were observed by Avraham and the other Patriarchs.
How distinct was Avraham's mode of worship from those around him? This question is an outgrowth of the above. If Avraham was unaware of later commandments, is it possible that, in worshiping Hashem, he borrowed from the practices of the pagans around him?
- Akeidat Yitzchak – See Shadal who suggests that Avraham, like the rest of the world in his era, originally viewed child sacrifice as the highest form of devotion to God. It was only through the story of the Akeidah itself that Hashem taught both him and the monotheistic world at large that the practice was, in fact, immoral and repugnant. For elaboration, see Purpose of Akeidat Yitzchak.
- וַיִּטַּע אֶשֶׁל –
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 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 the "souls" simply refer 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 the unity of Hashem.
- 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 and that the verse does not speak of missionary activities..
Tests of Faith
Unique Traits
Belief in Hashem
"צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט"
Warrior
Possible Sins
Avraham in Egypt
Bereshit 12 describes Avraham's descent to Egypt due to famine. Commentators debate the propriety of his conduct throughout the episode. [For a full discussion of the various issues, see Endangering Sarai in Egypt.]
- Leaving Israel – Was Avraham justified in leaving the land promised to him by Hashem, or should he have trusted that Hashem would care for him during the famine and stayed put?
- Justified – Ralbag claims that, in times of famine, a person must do what they can to provide for themselves. We don't rely on miracles.
- Not Justified – Ramban, in contrast, claims that Avraham should have had faith that Hashem would save him from famine.
- Endangering Sarah – Should Avraham have risked Sarah's honor to save his own life? After all, by posing as Avraham's sister, Sarah presented herself as available, making it much more likely that the Egyptians would take her!
- Justified – Most commentators attempt to defend Avraham's actions. Thus, Ralbag claims that preserving human life is more important than preventing forced sexual activity in a case where relations are not a Torah offense. The Ran, in contrast, suggests that Avraham was hoping to protect not only himself but also Sarah. He planned to act as her guardian, in charge of her nuptials, and to ask such a high dowry that no one would be able to meet it.3
- Not Justified - Ramban and Cassuto assert that Avraham erred. His actions betrayed a lack of faith in Hashem, and endangered Sarah unnecessarily.
- Lying – Was lying justified under the circumstances?
- Avraham lied – Most sources assume that in cases of danger to life, one is allowed to lie.
- Avraham did not lie – R. Saadia adds that Avraham did not actively lie, but rather used a word with a dual meaning ("sister" can refer to either a sieter or any relative).
Afflicting Hagar Bereshit 16
"בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה"
After Hashem promises Avraham the Land of Israel in Bereshit 15, Avraham questions, " בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה". Is this an expression of lack of belief in Hashem?
- Sin – Shemuel in Bavli Nedarim, Vayikra Rabbah,Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and Tanchuma all maintain that Avraham displayed a lack of faith in Hashem when he asked for a sign that he would inherit the land. Moreover, they claim that he was punished severely for it; the decree of bondage in Egypt was a direct result of this speech.4
Covenant with Philistines
Though most sources do not view Avraham's covenant with Avimelekh in Bereshit 21:22-32 as problematic, Rashbam uniquely faults Avraham for making the treaty. He asserts that the Philistine land was included in Hashem's promise to Avraham, and thus the prohibition "לֹא תְחַיֶּה כׇּל נְשָׁמָה" applied to them as well. According to Rashbam, the command to sacrifice Yitzchak was meant to distress Avraham and punish him for this deed.5 See Purpose of Akeidat Yitzchak for elaboration.
