30 October, 2009

Parshas Lech Lecha

Parshas Noach opens with an introduction to who Noach was and why he deserved to be chosen by Hashem. Parshas Lech Lecha jumps straight into the story of Avraham and fails to tell us what Avraham did and why he was chosen by Hashem.
Adam was created by the hands of Hashem and his neshoma was the highest and most pure. Adam didn't have to be chosen to be the first man, by default he was the first man - it wasn't possible to have prior merits.
Since Adam's creation every human has to work on himself and create himself, in order to be special and find favor in the eyes of Hashem. The Maharal says that is true for everyone except for Avraham. Noach had to merit to be the one to be saved from the mabul and be the one that rebuilt the world. Avraham was created special and prechosen to be the one to start the nation of Yisroel. Just like Adam was a new creation not like anything that preceeded him, so too Avraham as the father of Klal Yisroel had to be a total new creation created from the very start for the purpose of being Hashem's children.

Happy birthday to Yakov Simcha K.!

1 comment:

CN--MFS said...

Some possiblitities for the question thats waiting to be asked.

1) Why indeed was Avrohom prechosen. Bishlama Adam as the first creation had to be prechosen, but why Avrohom.

2) Dont we know from midrashim thta Avrohom was Hikir es boiroi from age 3. Isnt that the reason why Avrohom was chosen (der ershta gevorenor). Furthermore, even if he was prechosen, souldnt the fact that he was hikir es boiroi be mentioned as an introduction.

3) In the end of Parshas Noach, the Torah hints to Avrohom's introduction by stating ur kasdim and how only Avrohom was saved and not Haran. Isnt this an introduction already?