The Profound Word

Parashat Lekh Lekha 5770

The Profound Word

Howard S. Joseph

From Abram to Abraham

Modernity has brought a host of challenges to traditional notions of Jewish identity. For the past two hundred years Jews have pondered and debated how to respond to these questions. Are we still a nation apart given that we are offered membership in other nations? Can we still fully guide our personal and communal lives according to Torah standards? And if we are indeed citizens in our local countries what does it really mean to be in exile awaiting the Messiah to return to our own land?

Furthermore, a re-thinking of the relationship between Jews and other nations had to be made. Tolerance should promote a different relationship than during a period of exclusion. What might that be? Are the Jews now normalized to be a nation like any other? Or is their still some purpose that Jews serve vis-à-vis the other nations? Is there a Jewish mission to the world that is not yet finished? Is that mission ultimately to convert the world to Judaism or to impact upon it in a different way?

Jews in Western Europe were faced head-on with these questions as they lived in Emancipated or soon-to-be- Emancipated circumstances. While Jews in Eastern Europe were not quite there yet, they were aware of the potential disruptions that could come, certainly after Napoleon’s fateful march to the East. Changes were happening and will continue to happen.

It is, therefore, not surprising that rabbis addressed these issues in their commentaries and writings. The thrust is clear in the great Central European leader, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Rabbi Berlin – an almost exact contemporary of Rabbi Hirsch – shows concern as well. Jewish identity must be defended. Jewish practices that give us a distinct identity – such as the Sabbath, Kashrut and circumcision must be preserved.

Neziv focuses a lot of his attention on the figure of Abraham, who appears in this Parashah as the Founding Ancestor of what will become the Jewish nation. Beginning as Abram in Mesopotamia he is challenged to seek a new venue and there ‘to be a blessing’. He makes his way to Canaan with his wife, Sarai, and other family members and with ‘the souls that he made in Haran.’ Something momentous is occurring. It is in this context that we look at Neziv’s ideas.

Texts

Neziv expresses his views throughout the Parashah and I will try to piece them together as we go.

He likes Isaiah’s formulation of a nation as a ‘berit am’, a covenantal entity with its culture and social contract. Some nations can grow larger into a ‘goy’, a full-fledged nation-state. Ultimately all nations should remain intact but impacted for the better by Abraham and his descendants. [And, of course, Sarah too.]

Gen. 12:2 – ‘and I will aggrandize your name’ – Even those who will not join your faith to worship the one unique God which will be unlike other various religions which despise, deny and belittle the faith of others – this will not be the way of Abram –for even those who do not wish to join it will know and understand that Abram’s faith in the Supreme God is great. However, it demands restraints from desires and such which is not pleasing to everyone. In this way people will know that Abram merited to faith and service of the Supreme God.

We see here that there is no expectation that all will convert to Abram’s way but they will be respectful of it and maybe influenced by it to some measure.

This is amplified later on in chapter 17 when Abram becomes Abraham [and Sarai becomes Sarah.] The subject is a covenant that will be sealed by circumcision as its symbol. The added Hebrew letter ‘hey’ to Abram’s name – and the change of Sarai’s last Hebrew letter to the ‘hey’ as well now to be Sarah – comes from the Hebrew ‘hamon’ which means many, numerous, or a multitude:

17; 4-9 As for Me, behold My covenant is with you, and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations: And your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations…. And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a God and to your seed after you…. And God said to Abraham, “And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

Neziv has a lot to say here.

‘and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations’ – Until now Abraham had called out in the name of God and had converted some people completely who entered into the category of servants of God through the teachings taught to them by Abraham…. But this approach is impossible for the entire world. The intention from the very beginning was only ‘He set up the boundaries of peoples according to the number of the children of Israel [Deut. 32:8], [i.e., God wished the many nations to continue to exist –hsj]; but not that all will enter the congregation of Israel [Adat Yisrael]. It was the Divine intention that all nations will come to know God and that idolatry will pass away. This is what the Blessed Holy One told Abraham: that his goal was to implant in Abraham to be a father to many nations in order to bring them to the knowledge of God. Through this he will be known as the father of many nations, as a father places his son on the right path.

This explains what God asked him earlier – ‘walk before Me and be perfect’. That is, that Abraham should publicize God even to those nations that are not prepared to accept complete conversion….

Neziv adds in HRD:

As in Isaiah 42; 6, ‘I fashioned you and gave you as a covenanted people [berit am], a light to the nations.’ … I gave you a special structure separate from the nations…. In order to improve the faith of every nation….

The texts are clear. No matter what the circumstances the Jews have a special role to play in God’s dream for the world. Social and political changes may occur but the unique structure and purpose of Israel’s existence remain.

The goal was never to convert the whole world to one way of worship. The nations were created by God and will remain. However, Israel’s impact upon them should lead them to improve their relationship to God and the removal of idolatry.

Neziv does not here explicitly address the modern situation but I believe it is lurking in the background. He is respectful to the nations of the world in these lines and in many other places, as we will see in the future. He is positive that there will always be a special role for Israel in the world – and so should we be as well.

Finally, in verse 9, he adds his comment on the place of the Covenant of  Circumcision as the sign of this mission:

Since God had charged him with the fulfillment of publicizing His Glory among the nations even if they will not convert to enter into the community of Israel – here He adds the command of Berit Milah because with this they will be distinguished  in the world…. for circumcision is a distinguishing sign [of the covenant] of the nation everywhere [they will go] to announce that they were created for this purpose: to bring recognition of God to the world.

That’s his profound word for today.

Shabbat Shalom