|
“And he
(G-d) took him (Abraham) outside, and said, “Gaze, now,
towards the heavens, and count the stars if you are able to
count them!” And he said to him, “so shall the number of
your offspring be!” And he (Abraham) trusted in G-d, and he
(Abraham) understood it as a gift of righteousness (Genesis
15:5-6).”
Nachmandies explains that Abraham understood this promise to
be a gift of G-d's righteousness, not Abraham's
righteousness; it was a complete guarantee. All of G-d's
other promises were contingent on Abraham fulffiling the
will of G-d. If Abraham failed in any way, he could lose all
G-d had promised him. However, the guarantee of children
was unconditional.
Despite
all he had done, being thrown into the furnace for his
belief in G-d, leaving his homeland and traveling to a
unknown destination only to find a desolate place of famine
and hunger, and attracting many people towards following
G-d, Abraham understood that G-d's promises were dependent
upon what he would do. Surely, he would be rewarded for what
he had done but G-d’s promises were in addition to that
reward and therefore conditional. To receive all of G-d’s
promises, Abraham would need to continue to walk in the ways
of the L-rd.
Abraham
understood that no matter how much one does or accomplishes,
G-d’s greatest rewards are for those who continually strive
to do more.
Shabbat
Shalom
Last
Year's Dvar Torah can be found at:
|
