As we read the early chapters of Genesis, there is an almost obvious question. Who was Abraham and why was he chosen to be the Father of many nations? The answer is far from obvious. Nowhere is he described, as was Noah, as “a righteous man, perfect in his generations”. We have no portrait of him, like the young Moses, physically intervening in conflicts as a protest against injustice.
He was not a soldier like David, or a visionary like Isaiah. So why Abraham?
The Torah gives us the answer, and here it is. God singled Abraham out “ so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just”.
willingness and courage to begin the Jewish Journey, a journey not exclusively focused on himself or his family, but one which would help to change the world.
Abraham was chosen for his courage to not conform, for his desire to be different, for his ability to connect and direct those upon whom he impacted towards G-D, and for his ability to connect us to each other. Abraham is the man who randomly extends hospitality to three strangers, and thereby lays down the foundations of relationship building.
As Abraham opened his doors to strangers, so too, let us open ourselves up for the benefit of others, thereby strengthening the bonds and relationships we form with one another, Relationships are what creates Community, and as we come together, we are each gifted to give what only we uniquely can give to enhancing our communal relationship with each other.
