NOVEMBER 7 • 2024 | 31

Spinoza, Marx and Freud. Thorstein 
Veblen said in an essay on “The 
intellectual preeminence of Jews,” that 
the Jew becomes “a disturber of the 
intellectual peace … a wanderer in the 
intellectuals’ no-man’s-land, seeking 
another place to rest, farther along the 
road, somewhere over the horizon.”
The second sees Jewish identity 
in terms of tzedek umishpat, a 
commitment to the just society. Albert 
Einstein spoke of the “almost fanatical 
love of justice” as one of “the features 
of the Jewish tradition which make me 
thank my stars that I belong to it.”
The third reminds us that the Greek 
thinkers Theophrastus and Clearchus, 
disciples of Aristotle, speak of the Jews 
as a nation of philosophers.
So, these views are all true and 
profound. They share only one 
shortcoming. There is no direct 
evidence for them whatsoever in the 
Torah. Joshua speaks of Abraham’s 
father, Terah, as an idolater (Josh. 
24:2), but this is not mentioned in 
Bereishit.
The story of the palace in flames 
is perhaps based on Abraham’s 
challenge to God about the proposed 
destruction of Sodom and the cities 
of the plain: “Shall the Judge of all 
the earth not do justice?” As for 
Abraham-as-Aristotle, that is based 
on an ancient tradition that the Greek 
philosophers (especially Pythagoras) 
derived their wisdom from the Jews, 
but this, too, is nowhere hinted in the 
Torah.
What then does the Torah say about 
Abraham? The answer is unexpected 
and very moving. Abraham was 
chosen simply to be a father. The “Av” 
in Avram/Avraham means “father.” 
In the only verse in which the Torah 
explains the choice of Abraham, it 
says: “For I have chosen him, 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, so that the Lord will bring about 
for Abraham what He has promised 
him.” Gen. 18:19
The great scenes in Abraham’s life 
— waiting for a child, the birth of 
Ishmael the tension between Sarah 

and Hagar, the birth of Isaac and the 
Binding — are all about his role as a 
father.
Judaism, more than any other 
faith, sees parenthood as the highest 
challenge of all. On the first day of 
Rosh Hashanah — the anniversary of 
Creation — we read of two mothers, 
Sarah and Hannah, and the births 
of their sons, as if to say: Every life 
is a universe. Therefore, if you wish 
to understand the creation of the 
universe, think about the birth of a 
child.
Abraham, the hero of faith, is simply 
a father. Stephen Hawking famously 
wrote at the end of A Brief History 
of Time that if we had a Unified 
Field Theory, a scientific “theory of 
everything,” we would “know the 
mind of God.” We believe otherwise. 
To know the mind of God we do not 
need theoretical physics. We simply 
need to know what it is to be a parent. 
The miracle of childbirth is as close as 
we come to understanding the-love-
that-brings-new-life-into-the-world 
that is God’s creativity.
There is a fascinating passage 
in Yossi Klein Halevi’s book on 
Christians and Muslims in the land of 
Israel, At the Entrance to the Garden 
of Eden. Visiting a convent, he is told 
by a nun, Maria Teresa: “I watch the 
families who visit here on weekends. 
How the parents behave toward their 
children, speaking to them with 
patience and encouraging them to ask 
intelligent questions. It’s an example to 
the whole world. The strength of this 
people is the love of parents for their 
children. Not just the mothers but also 
the fathers. A Jewish child has two 
mothers.”
Judaism takes what is natural and 
sanctifies it; what is physical and 
invests it with spirituality; what is 
elsewhere considered normal and sees 
it as a miracle. What Darwin saw as 
the urge to reproduce, what Richard 
Dawkins calls “the selfish gene,” is 
for Judaism high religious art, full 
of drama and beauty. Abraham, the 
father, and Sarah, the mother, are our 
enduring role models of parenthood as 
God’s gift and our highest vocation. 

A Beacon of Hope
T

his week’s Torah portion 
marks the beginning of 
a journey for both our 
forefather Avraham and the Jewish 
people. 
God commanded Avraham to 
leave his homeland and travel 
to an unknown land. “Go forth 
from your homeland to the land 
that I shall show you. I will make 
of you a great nation and 
I will bless you and make 
your name great. I will bless 
those who bless you and 
curse those who curse you. 
All the families of the earth 
shall be blessed through 
you.” (Genesis 12:1-3). 
This pivotal moment in 
Jewish history is not just 
about physical movement 
but also a spiritual leap, a 
journey of faith and trust in 
God’s guidance.
In this portion, we 
witness Avraham’s unwavering 
belief in God despite the 
uncertainties of his path. He 
faces challenges, including 
famine in the land of Canaan, 
tension with Pharaoh in Egypt, 
conflict with kings and war 
over his nephew Lot’s captivity. 
Yet, Avraham remains steadfast 
in his commitment to God’s 
promises. In return, God reiterates 
His covenant with Avraham, 
promising Eretz Yisrael to his 
descendants.
At its core, Lech Lecha is a story 
of hope, resilience and trust in 
God’s Divine providence. These 
timeless values resonate deeply 
today as Israel, our beloved 
homeland, faces war on several 
fronts, surrounded by enemies 
seeking its destruction. The 
lessons from Avraham’s journey 

can offer comfort and strength in 
these dark times.
Lech Lecha teaches us the 
importance of faith. Avraham’s 
journey was filled with unknowns, 
yet he trusted God’s plan for him 
and his descendants. As hard 
as it might be, today we must 
strengthen our faith that, despite 
the sadness and fear, God is 
watching over Am Yisrael 
and guiding us through these 
challenging times. We are 
also reminded of the power 
of unity. Avraham and his 
nephew Lot initially separate 
due to strife between their 
shepherds; but later, when 
Lot is in danger, Avraham 
does not hesitate to risk his 
life to rescue him.
 In times of war and 
uncertainty, unity and 
collective responsibility 
within the Jewish people 
become critical. We must stand 
together, support one another and 
remember that we are one people 
bound by a shared destiny and 
covenant.
Most importantly, Avraham’s 
story is one of hope. Despite 
setbacks, God’s promise of a 
bright future never wavers. As 
Israel grapples with constant 
threats and violence, we must hold 
on to the promise that our people, 
our land and our Jewish heritage 
will endure. Just as Avraham 
walked into the unknown with 
trust, so, too, must we face our 
current challenges with resilience, 
faith and a belief in a brighter 
tomorrow. 

Dr. Darin Katz is head of school at Hillel 

Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in 

Farmington Hills.

TORAH PORTION

Dr. Darin 
Katz

Parshat 

Lech-Lecha: 

Genesis 

12:1-17:27; 

Isaiah 40:27-

4 1:16.

