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This parashah Lech Lecha, marks the beginning of the
chosen people of G-d, Israel. It tells the story of avinu Avraham
being called by G-d to leave his native land, Ur of the Chaldees
and to go to the Promised Land which was at the time, Canaan. G-d
made a promise to Avram to make from him a great nation which He
would bless and that this nation would be a blessing for the whole
world. One word is repeated over and over in this portion - the word,
"brit" which means covenant. G-d kept telling Avram that
he was making a covenant with him and his descendants. G-d would
create a special people for Him. He predicts Israel's journey to
Egypt, their years of slavery and all their failures.
At the same time, He promises that this covenant would be forever
and that through Avraham would come kings, princes, ordinary people,
many races and nations. Our sages have written that G-d was speaking
in reference only to Israel but I do not see that this is the case
in our Scriptures. He became the father of many nations but only
one out of these nations was chosen by Him for a special purpose-
Israel. In Chapter 12 we read about His promise concerning this special
people, that they would be a blessing to all the other nations.
Chapter 15 is called the "brit ha betarim" or the covenant
of the parts where the animals are sacrificed and cut into pieces
which G-d accepts for the sacrifice, thus inaugurating a covenant
with Abraham. This is a good model with which to understand the book
of Yehudim M'shichim (Hebrews) chapter 9 verses 15-18 concerning
the role of the mediator.
Tragically, Jerome the translator of the Latin Bible, the Vulgata,
changed the word, "brit" meaning covenant to "testament"
and also the word "mediator" to "testator". In
so doing, he left us with a false impression that there was an Old
and New Testament. However, here it is not speaking about books of
the Bible; it is speaking about a covenant between G-d and man. The
word testament does not exist in the Bible…it was an invention
of Jerome but has been unequivocally accepted by the world. (Read
Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-13)
In a brit, there is the understanding of a pact between two parties
who are still alive. In order for any covenant to be established
in biblical times, it always required a death. Without death there
was no covenant. In this case, it was the animals and pigeons which
died. In Hebrews, it is speaking about the same type of covenant
only now Yeshua is the mediator, having died as the sacrifice to
make atonement for us. When we accept the idea that the covenant
is a testament it is contrary to the Word of G-d. In a testament,
there is one party who dies while the one left alive is the recipient
of the last will and testament. This would mean that G-d Himself
would have needed to die which is impossible. Not only is it taking
the Bible out of context but the only thing it does is to lead us
to confusion and wrong conclusions. It creates the notion that the
Old Testament is no longer valid and the New has replaced the Old.
But for this drash, I would like to focus on Chapter 15:6 where it
is written: "And
he believed [mah
in
the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness."
One of our great rabbis of the Middle Ages, a great philologist,
Hebraist and scholar, Ibn Ezra interpreted this quite differently
from the other sages as well as Christian scholars. It is usually
interpreted that because of Avraham's belief, he became righteous
or in some translations could mean "charity" from the word
tzedakah. Ibn Ezra said that the emphasis was not on Avraham's name,
since it was not mentioned. The emphasis is placed upon G-d who gave
Avraham the faith as well as the righteousness. Nothing was from
Avraham. It is of interest to take note that another rabbi from the
first century CE wrote in a similar fashion. He was a student of
Gamaliel and his name was Rav Shaul, or Paul. In his letter to the
congregation at Ephesus, Ephesians 2:8-10 "..it
is by G-d's chesed, (grace) that you have been saved, through emunah,
(faith) not by anything of your own but by a gift from G-d, not by
anything that you have done so that nobody can claim the credit.
We are G-d's work of art, created through our Messiah Yeshua for
the good works which G-d has already designated to make up our way
of life."
G-d has prepared us through our spiritual DNA to what He has already
prepared for us in advance. An important contrast which has held
for almost 2000 years is that we must do good deeds to obtain G-d's
favor. We have built a theological case to justify the systems of
rewards and punishments for our behavior based on our own actions
with the idea that G-d has chosen us because we are gifted and talented
and that G-d can use us to further His kingdom because we are so
good. We have been taught firstly that we can obtain our own salvation
by either our good deeds or our acceptance of him by our own choice.
Thus our actions become the main motivating factor. G-d then becomes
the spectator and has little to do us after our creation and revealing
His existence to us.
Let us examine Avraham's faith. One would think that he was a giant
in the faith but in chapter 12 we see that there is a famine in Canaan
so Avraham packs up and takes everyone to Egypt. If his faith was
so great, would not G-d have provided for them as He later provided
for us in our 40 years of wandering in the desert? Then when he arrived
to Egypt, he asked his wife Sarai to tell the Egyptians that she
was his sister, if he had that extraordinary faith, how could he
have doubted G-d's care? Then in chapter 15, he complains to G-d
that he will have no one from his own loins to carry on his line
and that he would leave everything to his servant Eleazar. Later,
in chapter 16 we see that he allows Sarah to convince him to take
Hagar to provide him with a son. Then we see Avinu Avraham lie again
about Sarah being his sister and not his wife in order to save his
life. We do however read one passage which is the akeda, the binding
of Isaac, where we see faith being exercised when G-d asks him to
sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Again this faith was a supernatural
faith given to him by G-d.
It is always difficult to understand that G-d chooses us, guides
us, and decides the best path for our lives. It is difficult as humans
to be dependent on a righteous and loving G-d. To walk by faith is
a gift of G-d, not a human quality. We are limited in our ability
to have faith and even to have a relationship with G-d. He is the
initiator of this relationship. Avraham was G-d's friend and like
him, we to need to grow in our relationship with G-d and learn about
His friendship with us.
All the biblical heroes were very human; they made many mistakes;
were very limited in their ability to be obedient to G-d; yet when
they finally surrendered and allowed G-d to take over were they successful
in doing what they were called to do.
It is no different for us today. Let me say this to you…G-d
called us by our names before the foundations of the earth. We were
called to be agents of change for the greater good of Kehal Israel,
Jew and Ger. Remember, Avraham was a gentile when he was called a
"tzaddik", he was uncircumcised. He is the father of many
nations. G-d called us, Jew and Gentile believer alike to serve Him
and like Avraham, may we respond to the call.
May
G-d add blessings to His Word!
Rabbi
Percy Johnson
Netanel
ben Yochanan
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[b lantn
©
2008 Use by Permission
Kehilat
She’ar Yashuv
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