Just Love Him

This week’s Parsha is the first of those that speak about the lives and times of our Avos Hakedoshim. Chazal teach us that the Avos instilled in each of their offspring, for all generations, certain capacities, Kochos and abilities. And so, when we learn about the Avos, we are actually learning about ourselves. Though the Pessukim in the Torah may be more direct, the Haftoros that speak about the Avos can also help us understand the impact that their lives had upon ours.

This week’s Haftorah is taken from Sefer Yeshaya, and it is not difficult to see how the Pessukim relate to the Parshas HaShavuah. As we know, Avrohom was the first to be Makir HKBH of his own volition, and he spent his life trying to bring Yedias Hashem to all whom he encountered. The Haftorah picks up this thread discussing the requisite Emunah and the benefits and rewards that await those who are truly Maaminim B’Hashem. The Navi tells us, for example: “V’Kovei Hashem Yachalifu Koach”, those who trust in Hashem have their strength renewed. One who has Emunah finds himself readily able to face all that life throws at him—his Bitachon gives him Koach.

The connection from our Haftorah to Avrohom Avinu is not merely thematic, however. Towards the middle of the Haftorah, the Navi seeks to comfort and encourage us, to allay our fears. This passage begins with the words: “V’Ata Avdi Yaakov Asher Bacharticha”. Hashem speaks to Klal Yisroel, the children of Yaakov, who were chosen as the Am HaNivchar and issues them a simple charge: “Al Tira”, do not be afraid. But an additional honorific is added: “Zera Avrohom Ohavi”. Hashem refers to us as the offspring of Avrohom, adding the title “Ohavi”, which means “who loved me.”

There are many ways that the Navi could have described Avrohom, but here the word “Ohavi” is used. What does this mean? Why is Avrohom referred to as one who loved Hashem? Also, is this an exclusive title—is Avrohom the only one among the Avos that was an Ohev Hashem? And, why here? Why in the context of the words “V’Ata Avdi Yaakov…Al Tira”, does the Passuk refer to “Avrohom Ohavi”?

If we think about the life of Avrohom Avinu, there are many specific instances that we may point to which seem to display his Ahavas Hashem. Perhaps the Passuk refers to his willingness to leave all that he knows, his homeland and his ancestral home, to travel to Eretz Canaan. Or, maybe the moment that Avrohom became “Ohavi” was when he took upon himself the Mitzvah of Milah, for the sole purpose of becoming closer to HKBH. Or, maybe Avrohom is known as “Ohavi” because he was prepared to to bring his only son as a Korban, solely because Hashem asked him to.

Any of these episodes would seem to bestow the title of “Ohavi” a person, but our Meforshim point to a different moment.

Radak explains the words Zera Avrohom Ohavi as follows: “SheOhavani Vidavak Bi V’Yatza Mitoch Ovdei Pesilim V’Alilim”. Avrohom is called Ohavi because he loved Hashem, and was Davak in Him, and left the world of Avodah Zarah. The beginning of this Pshat seems to be more general—Avrohom was an Ohev Hashem who longed to be Davak in the Shechina. The final words, however, seem to refer specifically to the fact that Avrohom departed from the world of Avodah Zarah in which he was raised. We may assume that this indeed refers to Avrohom’s departure from Charan when he was told “Lech Lecha”, but it seems that this is perhaps not the case.

Rashi, on these words, writes: “Shelo Hikirani Mitoch Tochacha V’Limud Avosav Ela Mitoch Ahava”. Avrohom Avinu, Rashi explains, did not reach his recognition of Hashem through the rebuke or teachings of his fathers, but through Ahava. According to this Pshat, Avrohom is called “Ohavi” because his very discovery of Hashem was reached through Ahava rather than the influences of those who came before him.

We can now understand that Radak, with the words “V’Yatza Mitoch Ovdei Pesilim V’Alilim”, is not referring to the willingness of Avrohom to leave his birthplace Al Pi Hadibur, but to his original conception of the Borei Olam.

This approach of Rashi is nonetheless a little difficult to understand, with two central questions to be asked.

First, we know that Avrohom did not gain his Hakara of HKBH from his forefathers, but why is the alternative Ahava? Rashi seems to imply that because it did not come through “Tochacha V’Limud Avosav”, the connection and recognition forged by Avrohom had to be through love. Why is this the case?

Also, it seems that the Avrohom reached Hakaras Hashem through intellect, and not Ahava.

The first Medrash Rabba on this week’s Parsha tells us that Avrohom questioned the notion that the world existed on its own. He reasoned that if one saw a castle in the distance that was well appointed, bustling with activity and glowing with light, he would assume “Yesh Manhig Labirah”, so too the world must have a Manhig. It was at this time that Hashem appeared to Avrohom and said “Ani Hu Ba’al Haolam”.

The implication of the Medrash is that Avrohom came to the conclusion that there was a “Manhig” based on reason and logic. It is true, as Rashi explains, that it did not come from parental influence, but in what way does this process connote Ahava?

Although it is not clear on what Rashi bases his Pshat, there is a Yerushalmi in Brachos that can perhaps be seen as a source. There, the Gemara tells us “Shiva Peruishin Hen”, there are seven types of Perushim, or people who abstain from certain behaviors in favor of Ruchnias. Some of the seven are less than savory, such as the “Parush Shichmi”, who carries his Prishus on his shoulders for all to see. Other Perushim are to be lauded, such as the Parush M’Ahava and Parush M’Yirah. The Gemara tells us that consummate Parush M’Ahava was Avrohom Avinu, who was even able to use this Ahava to turn his Yetzer Harah into Tov.

We can perhaps explain that Avrohom’s act of Perishus M’Ahava was his abandonment of Avodah Zarah, which obviously life altering. In this way we find a source for the words of Rashi, that the Hakara of Avrohom came through Ahava, but we still need to understand how that was the case, when it seems to have been an intellectual choice, and why that is related to Avrohoms lack of role models, as Rashi suggests.

Perhaps, in order to understand the Ahava of Avrohom Avinu, it would be helpful to see another way that Chazal discuss the Middah.

The Gemara in Sota notes that both Avrohom Avinu and Iyov are referred to in Pessukim as “Yarei Elokim”, and concludes that their Yirah must have been related. To wit, just like the Yarei Elokim of Avorohom was “M’Ahava”, so to the Yirah of Iyov must have been M’Ahava. The Gemarah then asks who we know that the Yirah of Avrohom was M’Ahava, and answers using familiar words: “Zera Avrohom Ohavi.”

It is clear from the Gemara that the Ahava spoken about in this Passuk, whatever that may be, was a defining characteristic of Avrohom, so much so that any act of Yirah that Avrohom undertook really stemmed from his Ahava.

How can we understand this concept? What is Yirah that comes M’Ahava, to which the Gemara refers, and how did that manifest itself in Avrohom Avinu.

The Noam Elimelech, in Parshas Vayigash explains the concept of Yirah M’Ahava in a way that may be helpful to our discussion.

Citing the words in Tehillim, “Uchiyirascha Evrosecah”, which seem to attribute Yirah to the Kaviyachol, R’ Elimelech explains that Hashem has nothing but love for us, and therefore wishes to be Mativ for us in both this world and the next. He knows, however, that we are not perfect, and may falter—and that is the “Yirah”. Only because Hashem has Ahava for us does the notion that we may not be Zoche to His Hatava cause an element of Yirah.

We are supposed to mimic the ways of HKBH, and so R’ Elimelech explains that whatever Yirah we have should also be based in Ahava—we should love Hashem so much that we would not want to give him cause to distance from us.

Then, the Noam Elimelech makes a startling observation, which we would term psychological if we didn’t know better. It is impossible, says R’ Elimelech, to fear that which cannot be seen, for what is there to fear? Love, however, is rooted in the Lev, and in his heart one can conjure the image of even something he has never seen. Because we cannot see Hashem, concludes the Rebbe, we must use our Lev to create a sense of Ahava that then leads to Yirah M’Ahava.

While the words of R’ Elimelech are true, yet we know that there exists a Yiras Hashem of a different sort, one more closely related to actual fear. How is this possible if we cannot see Hashem?

The answer must be that outside influences serve in place of the ability to actually see something. We have a fear things that we have learned about, or that others have told us about, even if we haven’t seen it with our own eyes. This feat is not necessarily healthy or even rational, but it exists nonetheless.

Avrohom Avinu arrived at Yedias Hashem in a vacuum—no one in his sphere of influence had every pondered, let alone spoke about, a Kol Yachol. Thus, when he arrived at the intellectual conclusion that “Yesh Manhig LaBirah”, Avrohom could conceive of a Kol Yachol, but had no basis for fear. He could not see Hashem, and had no other influences to allow him to develp any sort of Yirah. He could, however, look around the world and appreciate the Hatava of the Borei Olam, developing Ahava in his heart.

It emerges that, exactly as Rashi told us, because Avrohom was Makir the Ribono Shel Olam on his own, and not because of the Tochacha V’Limud Avosav, it was rooted totally in Ahava perforce. Any Yirah that he later developed was Yirah M’Ahava, as the Gemara tells us, and R’ Elimelech explains. Because Avrohom had such a deep and abiding Ahavas Hashem, he had a fear of losing even the smallest measure of connection, indeed his Yirah was rooted in Ahava.

Avrohom was Parush M’Ahava, as the Yerushalmi tells us, but not only in his initial Prishus from Avodah Zarah, but throughout his life. Any action that seemed spurred by Yirah actually originated in his Ahavas Hashem which was itself developed by his lone recognition of the Borei Olam.

We are, as the Passuk tells us, “Zera Avraham Ohavi”. That means that Avrohom gifted each of us with the capacity to be the ultimate Ohev Hashem, and to reach a level of Yirah M’Ahava. It seems, based on the words of the Gemarah and the Noam Elimelech, that the first step to attaining these heights is to develop Ahavas Hashem in our hearts, binding ourselves to the Borei Olam with Avosos Ahava, cords of love. We will be loath to sever these cords and thus become Perushim M’Ahava on our own levels. If we are successful in developing a connection with HKBH based on these terms, we will never fear. Cognizant of the Hatavas HaBorai in our lives, we will live with the words of the Navi: “Al Tira Ki Imcha Ani.”