When G-d decides to punish and destroy Sodom, He says:
"Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham is indeed to become a great and mighty nation, and through him shall be blessed all the nations of the world." (Genesis 18:17)
Rashi comments:
"It would not be right for Me to do this thing without letting him know.... I renamed him Abraham, which denotes a father of a multitude of nations. Can I, then, destroy the children without informing the father who loves Me?"
It is true that the people of Sodom sinned heavily, and ostensibly, Abraham could have ignored them and cut himself off from them. Yet, Abraham had a generous nature. He had love for the Creator and His creations - even those who had distanced themselves far from Him. Therefore, as is our way with those we love, Abraham strove to speak up in their defense, as when he asked G-d, "Will you actually wipe out the innocent with the guilty?" (18:23) Suppose there are fifty innocent people in the city.... Shall the whole world's judge not act justly?" (18:23-24) Only when he had finished defending them does it say, "When He finished speaking with Abraham, God left [him]. Abraham then returned home." (18:35) Rashi comments, "When the defender leaves, the prosecutor accuses."
We, the Jewish people, are Abraham's descendants. The traits that characterize Abraham are imprinted within the soul of the nation and in the soul of each individual Jew. Foremost amongst those traits is the "good eye" (Avot 5:17); i.e., the generous nature that looks for the good and the positive in everything; the approach that views G-d's creatures sympathetically, after the manner of Aaron the Kohen, who "loved his fellow man." (Avot 1:12)
Yet, it is not enough to be born with good, noble traits. Rather, one has to bring out his full potential through proper education, the way Abraham did with his own children, as it says: "I have given him special attention so that he will command his children and his household after him, and they will keep God's way, doing charity and justice."(Genesis 18:19) The identity and purpose of the Jewish people down through the ages start with the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and with G-d's having chosen Abraham, as it says, "You are the L-rd, our G-d, who chose Abraham and brought him forth out of Ur Kasdim and gave him the name of Abraham; and found his heart faithful before You." (Nechemiah 9:8)
And just as G-d chose Abraham, He also chooses the Jewish people, as in the blessing that we recite to "G-d who chose us from all the peoples" (Birkat HaTorah), and as in the blessings recited before the Shema, praising G-d who "lovingly selects His people Israel." Our duty and task is to learn to educate and to explain what are the identity and purpose of the Jewish people from the perspective of the nation's roots. We must look back at the rock from which we were hewn. By such means, we will continue with confidence and joy, marching along the upward path towards complete redemption.
"Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham is indeed to become a great and mighty nation, and through him shall be blessed all the nations of the world." (Genesis 18:17)
Rashi comments:
"It would not be right for Me to do this thing without letting him know.... I renamed him Abraham, which denotes a father of a multitude of nations. Can I, then, destroy the children without informing the father who loves Me?"
It is true that the people of Sodom sinned heavily, and ostensibly, Abraham could have ignored them and cut himself off from them. Yet, Abraham had a generous nature. He had love for the Creator and His creations - even those who had distanced themselves far from Him. Therefore, as is our way with those we love, Abraham strove to speak up in their defense, as when he asked G-d, "Will you actually wipe out the innocent with the guilty?" (18:23) Suppose there are fifty innocent people in the city.... Shall the whole world's judge not act justly?" (18:23-24) Only when he had finished defending them does it say, "When He finished speaking with Abraham, God left [him]. Abraham then returned home." (18:35) Rashi comments, "When the defender leaves, the prosecutor accuses."
We, the Jewish people, are Abraham's descendants. The traits that characterize Abraham are imprinted within the soul of the nation and in the soul of each individual Jew. Foremost amongst those traits is the "good eye" (Avot 5:17); i.e., the generous nature that looks for the good and the positive in everything; the approach that views G-d's creatures sympathetically, after the manner of Aaron the Kohen, who "loved his fellow man." (Avot 1:12)
Yet, it is not enough to be born with good, noble traits. Rather, one has to bring out his full potential through proper education, the way Abraham did with his own children, as it says: "I have given him special attention so that he will command his children and his household after him, and they will keep God's way, doing charity and justice."(Genesis 18:19) The identity and purpose of the Jewish people down through the ages start with the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and with G-d's having chosen Abraham, as it says, "You are the L-rd, our G-d, who chose Abraham and brought him forth out of Ur Kasdim and gave him the name of Abraham; and found his heart faithful before You." (Nechemiah 9:8)
And just as G-d chose Abraham, He also chooses the Jewish people, as in the blessing that we recite to "G-d who chose us from all the peoples" (Birkat HaTorah), and as in the blessings recited before the Shema, praising G-d who "lovingly selects His people Israel." Our duty and task is to learn to educate and to explain what are the identity and purpose of the Jewish people from the perspective of the nation's roots. We must look back at the rock from which we were hewn. By such means, we will continue with confidence and joy, marching along the upward path towards complete redemption.