Parshas Lech L'cha 5767

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

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The story of the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs is really the story of the essence of the Jewish people. Each of the forefathers was a microcosm of the entire nation-to-be.

Abraham recognized G-d at an early age, on his own accord. He was mocked by the rest of society and even persecuted for his beliefs, yet he continued to share his beliefs with others. The Midrash says that Abraham was called Ha-Ivri, the Hebrew, because he was on the "eiver", the other side, of society’s beliefs. This would become the eternal role of the Jew, to spread the ideals of monotheism and its ramifications throughout the world, even when he stands alone.

Abraham and his wife Sarah had to endure ten challenges to prove and to develop their faithfulness to G-d. One of Abraham’s challenges was to uproot his family, leave his homeland, and travel to an unknown land, which would only be revealed to him later. This was to develop his complete trust in G-d, and also to allow him to make a total break from his past environments.

Shortly after reaching Canaan, a famine struck the land. This too was a challenge, to see if Abraham would doubt G-d’s ways. Abraham and Sarah were forced to leave and travel to Egypt, where the Pharaoh abducted Sarah. Later, he was called to war, risking his life, in order to save his nephew Lot, who had been taken captive. Despite all these difficulties, Abraham did not become disillusioned and maintained his faith in G-d. He sanctified G-d’s name by displaying compassion even to his antagonists.

Another one of Abraham’s trials was the mitzvah of circumcision, which was given to him at the age of ninety-nine years old. G-d made a covenant with Abraham that if he would walk perfectly in His ways, G-d would bless him with children and give him the land of Canaan for his children. G-d commanded Abraham to seal this covenant on his body through the circumcision.

This mitzvah was given for all future generations too. Every Jewish male must be circumcised, as an eternal sign between G-d and the Jewish people of His covenant with Abraham. Circumcision has remained the hallmark of the Jew, distinguishing him from the rest of the world.

“Avrom traveled... and with the souls they had made in Charan” (Gen. 12:5)

The Midrash explains that the souls Abraham had made were the people he had introduced to a single G-d.

Rav Shlomo Wolbe related that when he first came to the Mir Yeshiva, he met an older student who unexpectedly asked him, “How old do you think I am?”

Surprised, the young Shlomo Wolbe guessed around 23-24 years old.

“I am three years old today,” the student said, “It was three years ago that I became a student of Rav Yerucham Levovitz, and with that introduction to the world of Torah and Mussar (ethics), I feel that I was born all over again!”

Did You Know...

When a circumcision will take place on the eighth day, it should be as early in the morning as possible, to show endearment for the mitzvah by performing it the first possible opportunity.

If there are two circumcisions to take place, one at its proper time on the eighth day, and the second for a child whose circumcision had to be postponed, there are different opinions as to which takes precedence. Some say that the eighth-day child comes first, since it is a greater mitzvah to circumcise on the eighth day--greater to the extent that it even overrides Shabbos.

Others feel, however, that the delayed child comes first, since every moment the father unnecessarily delays the circumcision he transgresses a positive commandment, whereas giving precedence to the eight-day old child is only a preference.