לזכות רפואה שלימה אחינו כל בית ישראל הנתונים בצרה ובשביה
Parshat Noach contained the story of humanities downfall, and eventual rebirth; not even ten generations from Noach had passed before the world sank once more to the precipice of utter calamity with the creation of the tower of Babel. Hashem reacted to that blasphemous creation by dispersing humankind across the world, and the primary 70 nations were born.
Towards the end of Parshat Noach, we are introduced to the family of Avraham Avinu, including his father Terach, and brothers Nachor and Haran. Haran would end up being executed by the dictator of the time, Nimrod [who was a vicious and ardent supporter of idolatry], and his daughter, originally known as Yiskah, marries Avraham, and becomes known as Sarai [eventually Sarah], and becomes the partner of Avraham, and the matriarch of the Jewish people. It is Sarah who introduces the nearly 4000-year-old custom of baking Challah and lighting Shabbat candles, the Mitzvot that Jewish women have taken on themselves, and have become ubiquitous to the Shabbat spirit.
Interestingly, this week’s Parshah begins with the phrase [Bereishit 12’ 1’]:
“…Hashem said to Avram, Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, [and go] to the land that I will show you…”. The simplest of readings implies that Avraham was to leave his father, Terach, and embark on a journey to an as-of-yet unspecified location. This is perplexing, because the Possuk states in the end of Parshat Noach [Bereishit 11’ 32’]:
“...The lifetime of Terach was two hundred and five years. Terach died in Charan…”. Clearly, Terach seems to have passed away already! Rashi addresses this issue, and states that in reality Terach will live for more than 60 years after Avraham’s departure.
Rashi’s words require further elucidation, for if Terach would live for another 60 years, why would the Torah write of his death here, long before his actual passing? [See Ramban and Rashi at length ad. loc.].
Maharal writes [Gur Aryeh, Bereishit 11’ 32’], that in reality the Torah introduces Avraham’s departure with the death of Terach for, in his words, “the most profound and wondrous of reasons.” At this point, with Hashem’s command of “Lech Lecha-Go For Yourself”, Avraham, as the forerunner of the Jewish people, is being separated from the rest of society. He no longer will be considered as having any relationship with his prior existence, and, according to the Midrash, will take the place of Adam [first of mankind], to bring purpose and reason to the world.
Thus, the Torah’s comment that Terach died is not saying that he passed from this world-rather, the Possuk is communicating that Terach and Avraham no longer were considered as father and son; henceforth, Avraham would be considered like Adam HaRishon, the forerunner of creation-with one difference.
Avraham was not going to be, like Noach and Adam, born of a world where it was just him and his wife; rather, they were going to be the progenitor and catalyst of a new people, the Ivrim [Hebrews], who would eventually become Am Yisrael, whose job on this world would be to provide the compass of morality in a universe cloaked in deception and evil.
The darkness that exists in this physical world can only be removed by the flame of the Nation of Benei Yisrael; the match for that flame was lit the moment that the Torah writes “...The lifetime of Terach was two hundred and five years. Terach died; Hashem said to Avram, Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, [and go] to the land that I will show you…”
May we merit to follow in Avraham’s footsteps, and continue to shine the light of the Torah on each other!
Dedicated in memory of all those who have perished and sacrificed for Am Yisrael.