God, why did you choose me?
by Daniel '28
Parshat Lech-Lecha starts by explaining the story of Abraham leaving his birthplace. God promises the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants. However, due to a famine, Abraham takes his family to Egypt. The Pharaoh orders Abraham’s wife, Sarai, to come live with him in his palace. Plagues are then brought upon Egypt as a punishment for what Pharaoh has done, and Sarai is brought back as Abraham’s wife. Abraham and his family return to Canaan, and the land is divided between Abraham and his nephew, Lot, to prevent any arguments or disagreements between themselves. Lot and his family are later attacked and taken hostage by enemy kings, and Abraham rescues them. Because Abraham and his wife were having trouble having a baby, Sarai, per the custom of the time, invites her maidservant Hagar to have a child with Abraham. When Hagar gets pregnant, she begins to look down on and mock Sarai. Sarai then treats Hagar harshly in response, causing Hagar to run away. An angel tells Hagar to return, and when she does, Abraham names the son Ishmael. Toward the end of this Torah portion, God tells Abraham to circumcise himself and Ishmael. Abraham is then told that all men should be circumcised at the age of eight days old as a sign that the covenant was kept with God. This torah portion follows Abraham and presents him as a natural leader. It shows Abraham growing from just a normal person to becoming a leader. This begs the question: If Abraham was just a normal person, what made him qualified to be leader? Why did God choose him?
Genesis Rabbah answers the question by saying that Abraham was not afraid to ask hard questions. He was chosen because of his wisdom and bravery. Genesis Rabbah continues by reasoning that Abraham had asked many hard questions about idols, such as how this world could have been created by a star or planet, or even someone with human hands. These questions couldn’t ultimately be answered by people who believed in idols. A now famous Midrash by Genesis Rabbah tells the story of Abraham smashing all but one of his father’s idols while his father was away and put him in charge of the shop. Genesis Rabbah additionally says that the town community resented him and his questions, with even his father reporting him to Nimrod, the king of Babylon. The midrash says Abraham was persecuted and put in prison. This is the reason Abraham was chosen: because of his bravery and not being afraid to ask questions or stand up for what he believes. He was okay with the risks of ridicule or even suffering persecution, all to defend his beliefs. He was willing to lead the minority of those who believed idolatry was bad, and he was ready to dedicate his life to teaching that there is one God who created all life. This was one of the big reasons why Abraham was chosen. Abraham also had other good qualities. Rabbis of the Midrash also taught that in business, Abraham always had fair prices. Whenever anyone was sick he would not only just give a blessing, but he would also visit and care for them. Many people would also come to him in times of trouble. These minor but important qualities are an additional reason why God might have chosen him. I agree with all of these midrashim because it demonstrates positive qualities that Abraham has that would make a good leader. Parshat Lech-Lecha teaches us that each of us have qualities that make us special. Whether it’s your bravery, ability to care for others, or anything in between, we each have important qualities. Abraham shows us his qualities to stand up for what he believes, and care for others. We should be more like Abraham: help others when we can, care for the sick, and defend against modern day antisemitism. Who knows, maybe you will become a leader.
