Torah Portion: Parsha Lech Lecha - When Did Avraham Become Jewish?

0:00 Schmuel decides he wants to be a Catholic. So he goes and sees his local priest and they chat. And the priest says to Schmuel, You know, if you want to be a Catholic, you're gonna have to give up all your Jewish traditions. For example, there's no chicken on a Friday night. He said, In fact, on Fridays we eat fish. Schmuel agrees. The priest takes out some holy water and he sprinkles Schmuel once and he says, You were born a Jew. Then he sprinkles him again and he says, And you were brought up a Jew.

0:36 He sprinkles him for a third and final time and he says, But now you're a Catholic. Schmuel's very pleased. He goes on his way. A few weeks later the priest is passing Schmuel's house on a Friday night. He thinks he'll go in and see how he's getting on. So he walks into the house and he can smell delicious chicken. And he's furious, he's cross. He told Schmuel he can't do this. He goes into the kitchen and he says to Schmuel, I told you you have to give up your Jewish traditions. You can't have chicken on a Friday.

1:09 We eat fish. Schmuel takes the chicken and he takes some water. He sprinkles it and he says, You were born a chicken. You were brought up a chicken. But now you're a salmon.

1:27 This week's pasha. Hashem appears to Avraham Avenu when he's 99 years old. And he says, I am Kel Shakai. Walk before me and be Tamim, and be complete. And there are so many questions on that situation. The first one is this. Hashem has appeared to Avraham before. This isn't the first time. So why now appear to Avraham and say, I am Kel Shakai? Why introduce himself with one of his neighbors? Why not just say to Avraham, Walk before me and be Tamim, be complete?

2:10 Another question is this. Avram Avinu is 99 years old. He's been serving Hashem for decades. He rejected idolatry, discovered Hashem, has worshipped Hashem. He was told Lechlahar at 75 years old, leave your land, your relatives, your father's house. He's gone to Erit Ishrael, he's had to go down to Egypt, he's fought the war of the kings, he fought the four kings. He's done all of these things. Why suddenly is Hashem saying to Avraham, Now walk before me and be complete? What's been going on before this?

2:50 And Roshi brings down on this. Says it means I'm Kelshakai. Walk before me by observing Britmilah, and then you'll be Tamim, then you'll be complete. The question is this. Avramavinu is not lacking in Hesed. Avramavinu is not lacking in his idea of justice. Avramavinu is not lacking in his Emuna, in his faith and belief in Hashem. So how come it's Brit Mila that's gonna make him complete? What's missing?

3:31 Wanna answer these questions? But in so doing, I think we end up answering another question, which is when did Avraham become Jewish? And I don't mean that in a halakhic sense, of course. But what I mean is conceptually, at what moment is he Jewish? Is it when he discovers Hashem? Is it when he first obeys Hashem and Lechraha, he leaves his land, his relatives, his father's house? When does he become Jewish? And the reason that matters is because it's what it teaches us today about being a Jew. So I want to explore these things and because Hashem we can get some real understanding and khizak, some inspiration from this.

4:22 So Hashem appears to Avraham Avinu and he says, I am Kel Shakai. And Rashi brings down on this and says, the Shah means I am he and the die is sufficient or enough. And so Rashi's saying, what Hashem is saying is, I am he that's godship is sufficient or enough for every creature. In other words, Avramavinu, you don't need anything else. I sustain creation, everything comes from me, and therefore walk before me, recognize this, recognize that all you need is me, and then you will be Tamim, and then you will be complete.

5:09 Rushi gets his inspiration from the midrash in Barishit Rubber. And what's interesting about that midrash is it brings down many other dies, many other enough or sufficiencies. So in that midrash, it has Hashem saying to Avraham, it is die, it is sufficient that you and I are in the world. What's the midrash saying? That's the most amazing thing. Hashem saying to Avram Avinu, it's sufficient that only if only you and I were in the world? What does that mean? So in many senses, this means that Avraham Avenu is already Jewish.

5:49 Because what Hashem is saying to Avraham is there were ten generations between Adam and Noah. And of course, the world had gone into a terrible situation, and Hashem brings the mubble, the flood, and he destroys and recreates the world at the same time. And then there were ten generations between Noah and Avram Avinu, and that results in the Tower of Babel, the rebellion against Hashem. And at that point, Hashem chooses Avram Avinu to be his representative on earth, to be witnesses to Hashem's existence.

6:27 And of course, that then goes to Yitzhak and Yaakov and to us today. And so Hashem is saying to Avraham, it's enough if there's only you and I in the world. Because you in your merit, Avraham, the world exists. The fact that you believe in me, that you recognize me, in your merit the world exists. And in many ways that makes Avraham Avenu Jewish. Because of course we have an idea that Hasfashalom, the Jewish people were destroyed, the world would also be destroyed. Why? Because Jews are so special, the world couldn't continue without Jewish people?

7:07 No, not because of that. But because it's our tough kid, it's our role to be witness to Hashem's existence in the world. And if Hasfishal, there was a world that there was no recognition of Hashem's existence because the Jewish people had disappeared, then the world itself would be destroyed. Not because Hashem is vengeful, not because Hashem would say, Well, no one recognizes me, so I'm destroying the world, not that. But because the whole purpose and essence of existence and creation would no longer exist.

7:44 If anything loses its essence and its purpose, it's no longer functional. For nothing to recognize Hashem on this planet would mean its essence, its whole purpose has been destroyed, and therefore the world itself would be destroyed and disappear. There's another die that comes up in that midrash. It says it is dai, it is enough or sufficient for the foreskin to exist until this point. What does it mean? It means that the midrash is saying now is the time for Mila. Now is the time for circumcision.

8:25 Now is the time for the foreskin to disappear. Because it's talking about a change in a spiritual reality. This idea of Brit Milar is going to change spirituality in the world. But how? What does it mean? How's it going to do that?

8:45 Raf Shimsham Raphael Hirsch brings down a slightly different take on Hashem appearing to Avraham and saying, I am Kel Shakai. He gets his inspiration from the Gomorritin Khagiga in Twelve Ahmed Aleph and also a very famous midrash in Bareshit Rabbah, where it says, Why is Hashem's one of Hashem's names Kel Shakai? Because Hashem said, Die enough to creation, to the land, die enough, to the sea, die enough. Because when Hashem creates the world, he doesn't just create the world, but he creates the boundaries and limitations in the world that make the world function.

9:30 The world can't function without those boundaries and limitations. And so we have night and day. There are limits and separations to those things, so we can enjoy the night and we can enjoy the day. And we have dry land and sea and they're separate, so we can enjoy the dry land and we can enjoy the sea. And every single creature that was made is made according to their own nature and capacity and purpose. And in so doing, they're unique and can bring something unique to the world. And so everything has limitations and boundaries.

10:06 It's a major part of creation. And nothing, says Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, nothing can go against those limitations and boundaries. The sun is fixed, it does what it's supposed to do. The moon is fixed, it does what it's supposed to do. Same with the sea, and the same with all the creatures in the world. They work on instincts, they don't go against their nature, they just do what they're supposed to do. Except, of course, says Ravshimsham Raphael Hirsch, there's one creature, there's one being that can go against those boundaries and limitations that Hashem created.

10:42 And of course, that is mankind, because Hashem gave us free will, and so we can do those things. And in fact, Ravshimsham Rafal Hirsch brings down and says the word Aveira, which means to sin, its root is Alef Bet Raish, which is to cross over, to pass over. And of course, what is an Aveira? What is a sin? To cross over a boundary. That's what it is. And so Hashem is saying to Avram Avinu, I am Kelshakai, I created the boundaries and limitations. Walk before me, Shravashim Shraphael Hir says, means observe those boundaries and limitations, work within those boundaries and limitations, and then you will be Tamim, and then you will be complete.

11:38 And of course, what's interesting is people often think that the Torah itself is so limiting. People that don't understand look at all these mitzvot, all these prohibitions. They say, how can you live that way with Torah, with all these restrictions? And of course, they're not restrictions, they're the boundaries and limitations that Hashem has given us to enable us to fulfill our purpose, to become the best people that we can be. Because to fulfill your purpose, you need boundaries and limitations.

12:08 Just think about it on a very practical level. But no one can be a brilliant doctor, optometrist, musician, lawyer, politician, all at the same time. In other words, you have to limit yourself in certain areas to fulfill your potential in others. So if Hashem's given you an amazing musical talent and you want to pursue that and become an amazing musician, the dedication and devotion that's needed to get to that standard means you have to limit other activities. Otherwise, you'll never fulfill your potential.

12:45 And of course, if you want to be a brilliant doctor or a brilliant philosopher or a brilliant lawyer or anything else, the dedication and devotion that's needed means that you have to limit yourself in other areas. And of course, if you want to be a Tamil Hachman, you have to spend hours on Torah study and limit yourself in other areas in order to succeed and fulfill that purpose. This is how the world is wired. And it's of course true of the religious life as well. You know, one of the unique things about Judaism is Judaism doesn't ask us to run away from the physical world, to opt out of the physical world.

13:25 It's quite the opposite. As Jewish people, we're supposed to engage in the physical world, but we do it within the limitations and boundaries that Hashem has set. So you could argue it's actually a mitzvah to start a business and employ thousands of people, but it's got to be done within limitations and boundaries. You have to have integrity, you have to treat your workers properly, you have to pay wages on time. And of course, if you become successful, there's obligations on sadakh, on charity and other things.

13:57 And we're encouraged. We're told to go out into the world and have children, have families. But it's done within the limitations and boundaries of permissible relationships and in the boundary of a marriage. These are the ways that we're supposed to live. So Hashem says to Avrah Vinu, I am Kelshakai, the creator of limitations and boundaries. Observe those, walk before me and be Tamim and be complete. Makes sense. Now here's the problem. Hasn't Avrahama Vinu already been operating within those limitations and boundaries?

14:38 This is a Sadik. This is one of the greatest human beings that ever walked planet Earth. He's been serving Hashem for years. Doing, giving hospitality, obeying Hashem when he was told to Lachlhah to leave his land, going down to Egypt with Sar and having tremendous Emunah, fighting the kings, doing all of these different things. Hasn't he been operating in limitations and boundaries? What is Hashem asking of Avrah Amavinu now? So Ravshim Shon Rafael Hirsh says the most unbelievable thing. He says there's a difference between being a good person and a good Jew.

15:24 He says being a good human being is a prerequisite for being a good Jew. If you're not a good human being, you've got no chance of being a good Jew. You don't even get onto the field of play. Having good middas, being honest, having integrity, respecting truth, doing acts of chesed, of loving kindness to people. This makes you a good human being. But you have to do those things if you're going to be a good Jew. Without being a good human being, you've got no chance of being a good Jew. But if you are a good human being, that doesn't mean you're a good Jew.

16:02 Because being a Jew goes further than just being a human being. Being a Jew is to recognize divine authority, is to recognize that it's Hashem that tells us how to live. It's to submit to Hashem. And here's the thing: at this point, Avraham is an unbelievable human being. Not just a good person, an unbelievable human being. But he's not yet a good Jew. Because he hasn't submitted to Hashem's will. Not because he's not willing to, in fact, we're going to see he is willing to and he does. But because Hashem hasn't asked him yet.

16:47 You say, what does that mean? He's done all these tests, all these things. How can he have not submitted to Hashem's will in its entirety? Because up until now, everything Avrahama Vinu has done has had a logic to it, has had a rationale to it, and that is why. So let me give you some examples of what we're talking about. Avram Avinu refuses to bow down to idols, and Nimrod therefore throws him in the fiery furnace and erkastim. He's willing, Avram Avinu is willing to die a death. A kiddish Hashem.

17:26 He's got so much emuna, he's not going to betray Hashem and bow down to idols. It's the most unbelievable act. But there's a logic to it. Because he's not willing to betray Hashem. He's not willing to give up his Olam Haba, his life in the next world, to betray Hashem in this world and live longer by bowing down to idols. No one's diminishing the act of Emuna. No one's diminishing the courage to be willing to die, a kiddish Hashem. But there's a rationale, there's a logic to it.

18:05 Avraham Avinu is told Lechlah, 75 years old, to leave his land, his relatives, and his father's house, everything he's ever known, everything he's ever accomplished at 75 years old. But he's also told by Hashem, and I will make you a great nation.

18:28 Often people leave their surroundings to better themselves in life, to become the people that they want to be, to go for career opportunities in other things. We're not diminishing the greatness of Avraham Avenu. We're not diminishing the emuna that he has. But there's a logic and rationale to obeying Hashem and leaving his land so he can become the person he's so supposed to be, so he can become a great nation.

19:02 Avramavinu goes to war with the four kings. It shows an amazing amount of emumna and courage. There would have been many, many people that wouldn't have done it, that wouldn't have undertaken that thing at all. They wouldn't have had the courage, they wouldn't have had the faith. But Avramavinu ultimately is going to war with the four kings to save his family, to save his nephew Lot. There's a rationale and logic. I want to be very clear. We're not devaluing the Emunna and the courage Avramavinu shows in those situations.

19:42 And we're not questioning his motivation. We're not saying he didn't do it just because Hashem told him to, and for no other reason. We're not saying that. But we're saying that underpinning it all is a logic and rationale. He hasn't had to suspend those things just to obey Hashem because those things have existed all the way along. There's been a logic and rationale to the things that he's done until now. Because now Hashem appears to Avram Avinu and he says, I am Kelshakai. I am the creator of limitations and boundaries.

20:20 Observe those, walk before me, do Britmilah, and you will be complete. You will be Tamim. And Britmilah has no rationale. There's no logic. And of course, we have to remember that we've been brought up with that Masura, with that tradition. You know, a baby boy's born today, and we all ask, when was he born? When's the Brits? We're used to it. Avram Avenu is the first person that's ever been told to undertake this. No one's done it before. And there's no logic to it. There's no rationale to it. On a physical and logical level, I don't mean a spiritual one.

20:56 There is no relationship between undergoing that procedure and becoming a better human being, becoming a kinder human being, becoming a more honest human being. There's no logical way it improves you in any way. The only reason for undertaking that is because Hashem told you to do it. There's no rationality. There's no logic to it at all. In fact, I'll go further. It's irrational. Why would you do it? Right? This is how you were made. This is how Hashem created you. And now you're going to do something and disfigure yourself.

21:32 And Avram Avinu has no idea of the ramifications. No one's done it before. Is he going to be okay? Is he going to recover? Is he going to be able to function properly afterwards for his own health? He's 99 years old. In that way, is he going to be okay? And there's also a reputational issue. And I don't mean Avraham's worried about his reputation from an ego perspective, as Fashalom. That's not what I mean. But there are Midrashian. That are brought down that Avraham Avenu is worried about Britt Millar because his whole tough kid has been spreading monotheism, has been spreading belief in Hashem, and he's got an incredible reputation in the world.

22:14 He's highly respected. And he's now worried that if he undertakes this procedure, people are going to think he's a crazy man. No one's seen this before. And if people think he's crazy, his ability to encourage people to be monotheists, to believe in Hashem, to recognize Hashem is going to be severely damaged because people are going to think he's mad. He's not going to be able to do what his task is. He's worried about that as well. So he suspends all reality, all logic, because Hashem told him to do something.

22:48 This is the moment where he becomes Jewish. This is the moment where he goes from being a good human being, an outstanding human being, to being someone that submits entirely to Hashem's will. This is the first time Hashem's asked him to do it. And now we understand why Hashem would say to Avram Avinu, I am Kel Shakai. In Rushi's interpretation, I am he whose godship is sufficient for every creature. You don't need anything else other than me. These are the boundaries and limitations that I set, as Rav Shim Rafael Hurst says.

23:28 So now walk before me, undertake Britmillah, and now you'll be complete. Now you'll be Tamim. Rashi brings down a Gomorrah in Nadarim, 32 Ahmed Bet, the most unbelievable Gomorrah. And the Gomorrah says the following Originally Hashem had given Avraham Avinu sovereignty, as it were, sort of a kingship over 243 of his limbs. And it brings down the Gematria of Avraham, Avraham's original name is 243. Aleph is one, Bet is two, which of course is three, Raish is 200, and Mem is 40. 243. And then Hashem tells Avram Avinu to do Britmila, and his name is changed to Avraham, and he's added a hay, and of course, hay is five.

24:24 And you add 243 and 5, and you get 248. Because now, says the Gomorrah, Avramavinu is in charge of all 248 limbs. Of course, we have a tradition in Judaism that we have 248 positive limbs in the body. So 248, he's in charge of everything now. And then the Gomorrah says, and what were the five that he's now in charge of that he wasn't before? It says his two eyes, his two ears, and of course the very thing he does Brit Miller on. Those are the five. And what's significant about those five is that we can't fully control our eyes.

25:08 Because sometimes we see things we really wish we hadn't seen. And we can't fully control our ears. Because sometimes we hear things that we really wish we hadn't heard. And of course, we can't always have conscious control over our physical desires. And the Gomorrah is making a philosophical point. Before Britt Millet, Avram A Vinu had conscious choices, had conscious control over things. But the significance of now being in charge of all 248 of these limbs, including the ones that we don't always have conscious control over, is because now there is complete dedication of Avramavinu.

25:53 Even on a subconscious level, he is submitted to Hashem. There is a new control over everything. That's the point that the Gomorrah is trying to make. That Avramavinu has become a different person through the name change and because of Brit Mila. There's a new spiritual reality in the world because on a conceptual level, not of course on a halachic level, on a conceptual level, Avram Avinu has now become a Jew. He's now dedicated entirely to Hashem. That is why it says, and Bithamim, he's now complete.

26:32 Of course, this sign of the covenant is now, Hashem tells Avram Avinu, this will be a sign for all generations, and that a baby male, when they're eight days old, will undergo Britmilah as a sign of the covenant. And what makes it so significant is there are only two mitzvot in the entire Torah, two positive mitzvot, which you can get karas for, cut off for, for not doing. There are lots of negative mitzvot, but only two positive ones. And what are they? One is korban pesach. Korban Pesak is the sign of the covenant.

27:10 Korban Pesak is when we became betrothed to Hashem before our marriage at Matantorah. And of course, the other one is Britmilah, the everlasting sign of the covenant that goes on to every baby boy, even to this very, very day. And in many ways, this moment of Britmilah was Avraham Avinu's Matantora moment. What do we mean by that? Think about Matantorah. What happens at Hasinai is Hashem makes a covenant with the whole of Khlishrael to fulfill the covenant made with Avraham Avinu. And he gives Klishrael the Torah.

27:51 613 mitzvot. The way that we have to live, as Hashem has told us to. And what do we say? We say Na'se vanishma. We will do it, Hashem. And then we'll understand. We don't know what's in the Torah. But whatever is in it will do it. We submit to divine will. We're willing for Hashem to tell us how to live, even before we know what those rules are. That's what being a Jew is. Submitting to Hashem's will. Of course, the precursor of Matan Torah is Britmilah, the sign of the covenant made with Avrahama Vinu, the first covenant made with the first Jew.

28:34 When Avrahama Vinu suspends all logic and rationale for the first time and says to Hashem, I'll undertake this because you've told me to.

28:49 Now we understand that Pasak. Whether you go by Rashi or you go by Rav Shem Sh and Rafa Alhershan, of course, we have the idea there are 70 interpretations of the Torah, so both of them work at the same time, and they do. Hashem says to Avram Avinu, I am Kalshakai. I am he that godship is sufficient for every creature. I sustain the world. There's nothing outside of me. I created the limitations and boundaries of this world. Walk before me. Recognize that all you need is me by undertaking Britmilah.

29:26 Recognize the limitations and boundaries which I created the world by undertaking Britmilah. And then you will be Tamim. Then you will be the complete human being. Not just a good person, but a Jew. Ready to fulfill the tafkid of being a witness to me on this earth. And of course, it's only after Avram Avinu has undergone Britmilah that he has Yitzhak, the first person to be born a Jew, and Yaqov after him, and of course, us today.

30:02 And this leaves us with the most amazing ideas. Because we keep Shabbas. And I don't know about you, but my favorite moment, or one of my favorite moments of the week, is just before Shabas when I turn my iPhone off. It's unbelievable. You know, the working week, we live in this digital world with incessant information and beeps and rings and all these things going on. And to be able to turn it off on a Friday afternoon just before Shabbat comes in, and to have this sanctuary of 25 hours where we can be with Hashem, where we can be with family, where we can be with friends.

30:45 It's just unbelievable, so logical, so obvious, so wonderful. And we study Torah, and it's such a privilege. The secrets of the entire universe are in Torah, as much as we can try and father them and understand them. And it's the most unbelievable time to spend your time doing Torah study. And we do acts of chesed. And of course, we feel so much better about ourselves when we do kind things for others. And of course, it improves society and builds society. There's so much logic and goodness to doing a chesed.

31:23 But what we learn from this week's pasha is we can keep Shabbat and enjoy it and have meaning in it. We should understand the mitzvot as best we can and find meaning in them. We can study Torah because it brings us so much joy. We can do acts of chesed because it's such a wonderful thing to do and logical thing to do and help society. And all the other mitzvot that we keep. But ultimately, the reason why we keep these mitzvot is because Hashem told us to. That is the reason. That's what makes us Jewish.

31:57 There's where the Kavana should be, the intent should be. I'm doing this because Hashem told me to do it. Despite all the other wonderful aspects and meanings of it and the fact that it makes sense, it's all fine. But ultimately we have to acknowledge we're doing it because Hashem told us to do it. And there lies in the challenge for all of us. Because we can go through our lives a lot of the time, having good lives, Bizrat Hashem, and understanding why we're doing things and enjoying serving Hashem.

32:32 But every single one of us face challenges. Every single one of us face tragedies in our lives. Every single one of us have moments where we don't understand what Hashem is doing. And it doesn't make sense to us, and we're frustrated, maybe even angry. You know, and we have that on a national level as well. Of course, in recent times, October the 7th, it's perhaps the most obvious, where we don't understand what's going on. Why Hashem would let this happen. It's beyond any logic, it's beyond any rationale, it's beyond any reason, it's beyond any comprehension that we have.

33:09 What we learn in this week's pasha is then we serve Hashem too. Because what Avraham Avinu teaches us is that our relationship with Hashem as Jewish people goes beyond any level of understanding that we ever have.