God's Blessing and Promise to Abraham

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God's First Promise to Abraham

TANAKH

After telling Abraham (then Abram) to move his family at the beginning of Parashat Lech Lecha, God promises blessings to Abraham, including progeny constituting a great nation and Abraham's being a conduit for blessings to others.

יהוה said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
And curse the one who curses you;
And all the families of the earth
Shall bless themselves by you.”

Genesis 12:1-3

The Transformation of Abram to Abraham

TALMUD

The transformation of Abram to Abraham signifies a divine blessing that expanded his influence from a local patriarch to the father of a multitude of nations. The Talmudic tractate Berakhot discusses the significance of blessings and prayers, including the profound impact of this divine blessing on Abraham's name and destiny.

The Gemara explains: Initially he became a father, a minister, and prominent person, only to Aram, so he was called Abram, father [av] of Aram, and ultimately with God’s blessing he became the father of the entire world, so he was called Abraham, father of the masses [av hamon], as it is stated: “I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5).

Berakhot 13a:5

The Blessings of Abraham

MIDRASH

The midrashic interpretations in Bereshit Rabbah offer profound insights into the reasons for and nature of Abraham's blessings, including the significance of his name change and the impact of his blessings on others. Bereshit Rabbah, a talmudic-era midrashic work on the book of Genesis, provides detailed homiletic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, emphasizing Abraham's role as a patriarch and a source of divine favor.

“I will make you a great nation, I will bless you [vaavarekhekha], I will render your name great, and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).
“I will make you a great nation” – he said to Him: ‘Did you not [already] produce seventy nations from Noah?’ He said to him: ‘That nation in whose regard it is written: “For who is a great nation [to whom God is so close]?” (Deuteronomy 4:7), I will produce from you.’
Rabbi Berekhya said: “I will give you” and “I will place you” are not written here, but rather…

Bereshit Rabbah 39:11

Reassurance of Future Blessings

COMMENTARY

Abraham was anxious that he might have already received his full reward through his victory over the kings. Rashi, the renowned 11th-century French biblical commentator, explains God's reassurance to Abraham that his reward will be exceedingly great.

אחר הדברים האלה — Wherever the term אחר is used it signifies immediately after the preceding event; whilst אחרי signifies a long time afterwards. אחר הדברים האלה AFTER THESE THINGS means: after this miracle has been wrought for him in that he slew the kings and he was in great anxiety, saying, “Perhaps I have already received, in this God-given victory reward for all my good deeds” — therefore the Omnipresent said to him, אל תירא אברם אנכי מגן לך FEAR NOT ABRAM, I AM THY SHIELD against punishment: for you shall not be punished on account of all these people whom you have slain…

Rashi on Genesis 15:1

The Mystical Blessing of Abraham

KABBALAH

The Zohar describes Abraham's blessings as an intimate connection to the divine. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, explores the esoteric dimensions of the Torah.

In this way Abraham penetrated into the Divine Wisdom and united himself with his Divine Master after he had duly prepared himself by a life of pious deeds. He thus merited those supernal days, and received blessings from the region whence all blessings flow, as it is written, “And the Lord blessed Abraham ba-kol” (in all things), where the term kol is the designation of the river the waters of which never fail.’

Zohar, Chayei Sara 17:138

From Enslavement to Liberation

LITURGY

The Haggadah recounts the prophecy of the Israelites' enslavement and their eventual liberation with great wealth, emphasizing divine faithfulness and redemption. This passage from the Pesach Haggadah, the guiding text of the Passover seder, highlights the fulfillment of the prophecy and promise made to Abraham.

BLESSED IS THE ONE
WHO HAS KEPT HIS PROMISE
TO ISRAEL –
blessed is He.
For the Holy One calculated the end
and fulfilled what He had spoken
to our father Abraham
in the Covenant between the Pieces.
As it is said:
“He said to Abram,
‘Know that your descendants
will be strangers in a land not their own,
and they will be enslaved
and oppressed for four hundred years;
but know that I shall judge the nation that enslaves them,
AND THEN THEY WILL LEAVE
WITH GREAT WEALTH.’”

Pesach Haggadah, Magid, In the Beginning Our Fathers Were Idol Worshipers 3

The Mixed Blessings of Abraham

COMMENTARY

The blessings given to Abraham also include a prophecy of future enslavement and exile. Rabbeinu Bachya, a 13th- to 14th-century Spanish commentator, conveys Ramban's depiction of Abraham's feelings on receiving the frightening parts of God's promises.

Nachmanides wrote: Avram found himself afraid in his soul and this fear was followed by darkness. Later on the darkness increased still further until finally, he felt as if the darkness was physically falling upon him. The reason for all this was that while G-d had covenanted with Avram that He would give the land to his descendants as an eternal inheritance, He had made some reservation to this promise. The reservation was that four different kingdoms would at one time or another enslave the Jewish people and rule over them in their own land…

Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 15:12:2

The Exclusive Covenant with Isaac

COMMENTARY

God's promises to Abraham are about his descendents, and Abraham had multiple children. Rashi, the renowned medieval French biblical commentator, explains that the special covenant that is the essence of God's promise to Abraham, will pass specifically to Isaac and his descendants, not to Abraham's other children.

והקמתי את בריתי AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH HIM — Why is this stated? Is it not already written (Genesis 17:9) “as for thee, thou shalt keep My Covenant, thou and thy seed etc.”? But since is said, (Genesis 17:7) and I will establish My Covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations”, it might be inferred that the children of Ishmael and the children of Keturah (who are all descendants of Abraham) are included in this promise of the establishment of the Covenant, therefore it states here (Genesis 17:19) “And I will establish My Covenant with him (Isaac)…

Rashi on Genesis 17:19:3

Abraham's Journey to Canaan

CHASIDUT

How did Abraham know where to find the land promised to his descendants? The Be'er Mayim Chaim, a Hasidic commentary on the Torah, argues through a reference to the Zohar that Abraham discerned the right land through his own spiritual intuition and was delighted to discover that he had aligned with God's will.

And Abram took, etc., and they set out for the land of Canaan, etc.: See what I wrote above to explain how Abraham knew the way in which he was to go. But according to the straightforward meaning, it appears to be according to the approach found in the holy Zohar (Lekh Lekhah 5:22-23) [about finding the place to sacrifice Isaac] and these are its [words]: The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Abraham the spirit of wisdom, etc. So he weighed [every place] in the scales and knew how to connect them to the powers entrusted to govern the inhabited places on earth…

Be'er Mayim Chaim, Genesis 12:5:1

The Paradox of Abraham's Blessing

TANAKH

The paradox of Abraham's blessing is highlighted by the contradiction between the divine promise of the land and his lack of ownership of a burial plot for Sarah. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores this paradox in the Torah portion 'Chayei Sarah,' which recounts the death of Sarah and Abraham's negotiation with the Hittites for a burial plot.

Equally haunting is its account of Abraham’s death, perhaps the most serene in the Torah: “Abraham breathed his last and died at a good age, old and satisfied, and he was gathered to his people.” He had been promised that he would become a great nation, the father of many nations, and that he would inherit the land. Not one of these promises had been fulfilled in his lifetime. How then was he “satisfied”?

I Believe; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Hayei Sara; To Have a Why 6

The Covenant Ritual

JEWISH THOUGHT

One of the occurrences of God making a promise to Abraham is accompanied by a particular ritual of making a covenant. In Sefer HaIkkarim, Rabbi Joseph Albo delves into the ancient practice of covenant-making, as well as the prophetic vision of God's presence during this significant event.

The method of making a covenant, as we find in the Bible, was that they cut an animal into two parts and the covenanting parties passed between the pieces. The prophet says: “When they cut the calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof.” Similarly, when God made a covenant with Abraham, He said to him: “Take me a heifer of three years old, and a shegoat of three years old, and a ram of three years old … And he took him all these and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other…

Sefer HaIkkarim, Maamar 4 45:2

The Covenant and Commandments of Abraham

HALAKHAH

The covenant of circumcision, as the first commandment specifically for the people of Israel, deepens the meaning of the commandment to be fruitful and multiply, and ties it to the promises of land and offspring. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, in his contemporary presentation of Jewish law, Peninei Halakhah, explores the interconnectedness of the commandments given to Abraham, emphasizing their foundational roles in Jewish tradition.

It is worth noting that the commandment to be fruitful and multiply is mentioned in the Torah well before the commandment of circumcision. It is, of course, more basic and it precedes circumcision. However, it was not said specifically to the Jewish people, but rather shared with all the living creatures on earth, from the fish in the sea to the land animals to man. However, circumcision is the first commandment directed to the Jewish people. Through it, the commandment of being fruitful and multiplying also acquires a deeper meaning…

Peninei Halakhah, Family 8:1:3

Divine Intervention at the Binding of Isaac

MIDRASH

One of the different contexts in which God promises blessing to Abraham is after Abraham almost sacrifices his son Isaac on an altar at God's command. Louis Ginzberg’s early 20th-century compilation, Legends of the Jews, retells that story, drawing from various midrashic sources as well as the biblical text itself.

The tears of the angels fell upon the knife, so that it could not cut Isaac's throat, but from terror his soul escaped from him. Then God spoke to the archangel Michael, and said: "Why standest thou here? Let him not be slaughtered." Without delay, Michael, anguish in his voice, cried out: "Abraham! Abraham! Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him!" Abraham made answer, and he said: "God did command me to slaughter Isaac, and thou dost command me not to slaughter him! The words of the Teacher and the words of the disciple- unto whose words doth one hearken?" Then…

Legends of the Jews 1:5:236

Abraham and the Mystical Rain

REFERENCE

The comparison of Abraham to rain reveals the hidden nature and universal benefit of both. The 18th-century Kabbalistic work 'Midbar Kedemot' by Hayyim Joseph David Azulai uses gematria to explore the mystical connections between Abraham and rain.

10) Our father Abraham, peace be upon him: The Holy One, blessed be He, compared him to rain. Accordingly, the words Abram, "Surely go" [Avram, "Lekh lekhah"] (Genesis 12:1) is the numerical equivalent [gematria] of rain [geshem]. Just like rain is enclosed in the clouds, and no one knows its nature, but when it falls to the earth, everyone benefits from it; so too [Abraham's] nature did not go out into the world when he was in his [previous] place. And just like rain brings blessing to the world, so too you — and you shall be a blessing (Genesis 12:2)…

Midbar Kedemot, Letter Alef 10

Abraham, Father of Converts

JEWISH THOUGHT

Abraham is considered a father to the Jewish people not only through genealogy but also through conversion. In his 18th-century philosophical work, Derekh Hashem, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal) explains the role of Abraham as patriarch and source of blessing for those who become Jewish by choice.

Abraham becoming the father of converts: Yet from His great goodness and kindness, may He be blessed, He made room even for the branches of other nations to uproot themselves from their roots, by their choice and their actions, and to include themselves in the branches of our father Abraham, peace be upon him, if they [so] desired. And this is His, may His name be blessed, making Abraham the father of converts. And He said to him (Genesis 12:3), "and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you…

Derekh Hashem, Part Two, On Israel and the Nations 4

Like the Stars in Heaven

MUSAR

God promises Abraham that his descendants will be numerous like the stars in the heavens and the sand by the sea. Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, in his 17th-century work Shenei Luchot HaBerit, gives a different meaning and significance to each of the two analogies given in the Torah.

This leaves us with the meaning of Abraham's saying עד כה, which had been interpreted as Abraham wondering how the promise of כה יהיה זרעך could now be fulfilled. Instead of understanding this as a degree of doubt on Abraham's part, we must understand this as Abraham hoping that Isaac would really be able to live up to the highest expectations one can make of human beings. He prayed that כה, "thus", i.e. of such superior calibre, would be his descendants. If G–d had meant that hyperbole in Genesis 15,5 to describe the physical dimensions of Abraham's offspring…

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Vayera, Torah Ohr 68

Abraham's Blessings and Longing

COMMENTARY

Before the Torah tells the story of Abraham arranging a marriage for his son Isaac, it mentions that he was blessed in every aspect of life. The Tur HaArokh, a medieval Jewish commentary by Jacob ben Asher, explains the connections between that assertion of absolute blessing and the episode that follows.

וה' ברך את אברהם בכל, “and the Lord had blessed Avraham in every way; material wealth, property, long life, and all the things which man aspires to make his life enjoyable. The only thing missing in Avraham’s life were grandchildren who would become the heirs of his prominent stature. He therefore decided to take a hand in bringing this about.

Tur HaArokh, Genesis 24:1:2

The Birth of Isaac

SECOND TEMPLE

The birth of Isaac to Sarah is a pivotal moment that ensures the continuation of Abraham's lineage and the fulfillment of the covenant. Philo of Alexandria, a first-century Jewish philosopher, retells the specific promise of Isaac's birth.

19. And God said to Abraham, “Yes, behold Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac.…

On the Change of Names, Introduction 12

Divine Guidance in Abraham's Journey

TARGUM

God's covenant with Abraham is important for all subsequent generations. The Targum Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, expands on or clarifies a verse in Isaiah to be about Abraham and God's relationship.

I by my WORD have made a covenant with Abraham your father; yea, I have called him, I have brought him into the land of the place of my Shekinah, and I prospered his way.

Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 48:15

God's Promises to Abram, James Tissot, 1896-1902

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