Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
In the opening פָּסוּק (pasuk, verse) of Parashat Lekh Lekha, God chooses Avram for a special mission, and commands him to go on a journey that becomes the first part of the story of the Jewish people.
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־אַבְרָם לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃
God said to Avram, “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”
This is similar to the opening pasuk of last week’s parashah, when we were told that God chose Noah for a special mission, too.
However, there is a big difference between these two פְּסוּקִים (pesukim, verses). The Torah explains why Noah was chosen, saying that he was righteous (Bereishit 6:9). But the Torah does not tell us anything about Avram’s background to help us understand why God chooses him.
This midrash helps us fill in this gap.
אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, וְרָאָה בִּירָה אַחַת דּוֹלֶקֶת, אָמַר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַבִּירָה הַזּוֹ בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו בַּעַל הַבִּירָה, אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הַבִּירָה. כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם אוֹמֵר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הָעוֹלָם.
Rabbi Yitzhak said: This may be compared to a person who was traveling from place to place and then saw a palace on fire. He said, “Is it possible that this building has no one in charge?” The owner of the building appeared to him and said to him: “I am the master of the palace.” So, too, since our father Avraham said, “Is it possible that this world has no one in charge?” the Holy Blessed One appeared to him and said to him, “I am the master of the world.”
According to this midrash, there is an important story that takes place before God selects Avram. First, Avram notices that there is a kind of “fire” in the world and wonders who is looking after it. Only then does God respond to Avram and choose him for his mission.
- What do you think it means that Avram noticed that the world is on fire? What different kinds of “fires” should we be noticing around us?
- Why does it matter whether God chooses Avram out of the blue or because Avram did something that made him worthy?
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