NL08 – The Founding of the Jewish People

(pages 113-117)

Avraham was chosen at this moment in early history as the founder of this nation. He had come to recognize and love God amid a polytheistic civilization that only sought pleasure. When God instructed him to leave his home, he listened. He had the attributes that would teach his children the way of God – to do kindמess and love (צדקה ומשפט). (Bereishis 18:18-19). His descendants would be a nation “through which all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Bereishis 12:2-3).

His love of God (אהבה) was expressed through loving God’s children. He cared for them, prayed for them and taught any who were open to listen.

His trust in God (אמונה) was demonstrated in his never veering from following God’s instruction no matter how dire his situation. (Passing ten tests of faith. GS)

His fear of God (יראה) made him ready to follow God’s instructions without hesitation or complaining, prepared to give up anything, even the most precious things he had. This was from Avraham’s awareness that everything belongs to God. (This was fully realized at עקידת יצחק . GS)

These attributes were passed down to his son Yitzchak (in whom yirah was most prominent) and his son Yaakov (in whom emunah was most prominent).

The small group of descendants grew to a family of seventy and would grow to become Israel. First they would have to be trained in the school of suffering. They were sent to Egypt and deprived of everything that appears to make a people a nation. They would have nothing of their own other than their morality and the knowledge that God would grant them their needs in the future.

Egypt was a wealthy nation and worshiped materialism. It did not recognize a God or other humans as God’s children, with equal rights. They enslaved Israel.

God revealed Himself in history through Israel’s exodus from Egypt. He is seen as the Creator, Master of nature, Lord over the life of nations, Vindicator of the oppressed and Judge of the arrogant. Mighty Egypt collapses and Israel marches out.

Israel is now to wander in the desert, further developing its emunah in God. There in the desert, Israel is given God’s Torah. Without a land of its own, the nation’s soul was to be the Torah. The nation was to be a kingdom of priests (ממלכת כהנים). As a priest serves amidst his people, Israel was to serve as the guardian of God’s word in the midst of humanity. They were to become a holy nation (גוי קדוש), standing apart in holiness, never entering into the activities and aspirations of the other nations, but demonstrating human sanctity by its own way of life.

A land was granted to them not as a means to itself but rather to demonstrate to the world that God is the Master and Provider of all blessings, Who grants blessing to the nation that fulfills His Will.

The nation must remember to remain separate from the other nations to ensure that they wouldn’t learn to consider these blessings an end to themselves. If they were to do so, they would undo themselves like the other nations, through the worship of possessions and pleasures.