November 11, 2024|י' חשון ה' אלפים תשפ"ה Lech Lecha 5785 - Disappointed, But Never Broken By Rabbi Beni Krohn

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 3^rd, 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.