Friday, October 11, 2013
Parshas Lech Lecha: Obeying the Boss
4:14 AM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"And G-d said to Avram, 'Leave the land of your birthplace, the house of your father to a land that I will show you'" (Genesis 12:1)
Rashi tells us that G-d sends Avram to a new land that will be for his benefit, goodness and he will receive tremendous blessings there. Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Moshe asks why is this considered such a trial, after all many people travel to far off countries for the sake of livelihood even if he has a doubt whether he will be successful there.
The trial here Rav Moshe tells us is that Avram does not question what G-d tells him to do even though he does not understand why G-d is sending there. Can't G-d give Avraham the blessings even where he is? Why does Avraham have to travel to a far off land to receive these blessings?
This is also true by the trial of the binding of Yitzchak. G-d promised to Avraham that he would have a son born to him and Sarah who would be his spiritual heir. After the miraculous birth G-d then gives Avraham the command to sacrifice him. Avraham does not complain or ask why G-d is doing this and received tremendous reward for listening to G-d.
There is a difference between both trials though, Rav Moshe explains. The trial here seemingly does not causes any suffering on Avraham's behalf. Yes he is leaving his homeland and everything he needs but ultimately he will attain great wealth and prominence and does not question G-d's ways.
The binding of Yitzchak, though caused Avraham great anguish and he still did not question why G-d wanted him to do this. Rav Sternbuch shlita has told me many times that we are considered to be in G-d's army. Regardless of what the king tells us to do we must listen and obey even if the command does not seem to make sense to us.
This is not just flippant belief in something not comprehensible and we have to keep torah and mitzvos because of a leap of faith. We have to try and understand all the laws of the Torah to the best of our ability. We must remember that the Torah is called 'chochmas elokim' G-d's wisdom and there are things that are beyond our capability of understanding.
This teaches us that we must be humble and realize our human limitations. We learn from Avraham that even when G-d tells us to do something that seems incomprehensible we still must obey the "Boss" and do His bidding.
Shabbat shalom
Rashi tells us that G-d sends Avram to a new land that will be for his benefit, goodness and he will receive tremendous blessings there. Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Moshe asks why is this considered such a trial, after all many people travel to far off countries for the sake of livelihood even if he has a doubt whether he will be successful there.
The trial here Rav Moshe tells us is that Avram does not question what G-d tells him to do even though he does not understand why G-d is sending there. Can't G-d give Avraham the blessings even where he is? Why does Avraham have to travel to a far off land to receive these blessings?
This is also true by the trial of the binding of Yitzchak. G-d promised to Avraham that he would have a son born to him and Sarah who would be his spiritual heir. After the miraculous birth G-d then gives Avraham the command to sacrifice him. Avraham does not complain or ask why G-d is doing this and received tremendous reward for listening to G-d.
There is a difference between both trials though, Rav Moshe explains. The trial here seemingly does not causes any suffering on Avraham's behalf. Yes he is leaving his homeland and everything he needs but ultimately he will attain great wealth and prominence and does not question G-d's ways.
The binding of Yitzchak, though caused Avraham great anguish and he still did not question why G-d wanted him to do this. Rav Sternbuch shlita has told me many times that we are considered to be in G-d's army. Regardless of what the king tells us to do we must listen and obey even if the command does not seem to make sense to us.
This is not just flippant belief in something not comprehensible and we have to keep torah and mitzvos because of a leap of faith. We have to try and understand all the laws of the Torah to the best of our ability. We must remember that the Torah is called 'chochmas elokim' G-d's wisdom and there are things that are beyond our capability of understanding.
This teaches us that we must be humble and realize our human limitations. We learn from Avraham that even when G-d tells us to do something that seems incomprehensible we still must obey the "Boss" and do His bidding.
Shabbat shalom
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment