Commentary by Michael Schneider,
israel today, Jerusalem:
This week’s Torah portion introduces Abraham, the first patriarch. It is here the Lord called him to “Go forth… to the Land which I will show you!” It tells us this was a step of faith that even believers find difficult to take. He risks everything.

Abraham, then called Abram, was obedient. Unlike believers today who want first a clear road map of where God is leading them, Abram picked up, left his home and followed God’s leading.

Abram’s life was one of constant tests of faith, beginning with the three-step call to leave his homeland (leave your country, your people and your father’s household), and ending with another three-step call in chapter 22 to sacrifice his son (Take your son, your only son, …whom you love). It shows full submission! God required of Abram the things he cherished most and he also wants those things we are holding onto most. Through our faith in Him, He intervenes and does His mighty work.

God’s Blessing over Abraham followed: “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing.” What a powerfull blessing! The Lord continued: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (12:3; Numbers 24:9 indicates these passages speak about Israel). Take this as good advice.

Abram left Ur (in present-day Iraq), the city of Nimrod, the adversary of God who elevated himself after the flood. A symbol of rebellion against God – out of this, God is calling us too today!

You are never too old to be targeted by God’s callings. God renews the strength to those who “Wait upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:29-31). So, at age 75, Abram left his homeland and became the first “wandering Jew.”

Abram and his wife Sarai were facing numerous tests of faith. Even when Abram arrived in Canaan he encountered various conflicts within his family, but still he humbled himself, giving Lot first pick of the land, “… If to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left” (13:9). In those days, ‘right’ (yamin) was west, towards the sea (yam). Left, was the Dead Sea region of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Jordan Valley. Lot ended up choosing the left because it was visually appealing (the wealth of the world), but it was rife with immorality. Abram passed the test of faith and God blessed him. Lot could have repented and joined his godly uncle, but he preferred the things of the world and followed after the ‘lust of the eyes’ (1 John 2:16). Lot could be as Ruth the Moabite joining Nomi and be a part of the blessing!

Interestingly, we find the term “Lot’s face” (penei Lot; normally translated as ‘covering’) in Isaiah 25:7 showing the blindness of the nations toward Israel’s promises! Like Lot was blind to the promises of Abraham.

Abram later rescued his nephew when five kings destroyed Sodom. After this encounter, Lot received an additional wake-up call to repentance, but again he chose the comfortable life.

As time went on Abram remained childless. Yet, he held on to promises like, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars… So shall your descendants be” (15:5). Abram and Sarai were between clinging to the promises of God and human desperation. Sarai became so desperate she even offered her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to her husband because “the LORD has prevented her from bearing children.” An act of a frustrated human.

In chapter 16 we read about the birth of Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old. By chapter 17, Abram had reached 99, Ishmael was 13 years old and all hope seemed lost for additional offspring. But it was at this time that God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. He made an unconditional covenant with him marked by circumcision and said, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly… For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (17:2-5).

On the eighth day Jews circumcise their boys as a sign of entering the Abrahamic covenant. Arabs are also descendants of the 12-prince kingdom of Ishmael. Even today they circumcise their boys at age 13 like Ishmael. They are believed to be included in the borders from the brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates.

Finally, at the age of 100, Abraham began to understand that the promise could only be fulfilled supernaturally because Sarah was 90. Meaning, when our natural means switch off God’s super-natural means switch on!

Therefore, after hearing another promise Abraham was the first to laugh (17:17) – then Sarah.

Next week we’ll see Abraham’s biggest test of all.

Shabbat Shalom

Commentary:
Our Torah portion “Jethro” is one of the six readings named after a person. The others include Noah, Sarah, Korah, Balak and Pinchas (Phinneas). Our reading was named for the heathen and pagan priest of Midian who eventually became Moses’ father-in-law. It is here, we read in the heart of the Torah the most important scripture in the Jewish faith with the giving of the law and here it is named after a heathen (goy).
This shows us again that God’s Word was made available to all of mankind.

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Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:

“I am Hashem your G-d.” (Exodus 20:2) This is the first commandment and it is essentially the last. G-d has woven His name throughout the entire Torah, and His presence throughout all of creation. To know His name and to believe in Him is the entirety of of all the commandments.

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Moses described ‘all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey’ but never ceased to give honor and praise to God Almighty! This is not a story filled with complaints, but rather one that is encouraging. We can learn from this when we encounter the hardships of life – give praises to God!

The heathen priest recognized God for who he was: “The LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed” (18:11).

Jethro gave Moses advice in changing the justice system, as a loving father-in-law, from one judge (Moses) to 70 – with one rationale: “You will surely wear out (naval), both yourself and these people who are with you…” (18:18).

The verb ‘naval’ was given in the verse twice, emphasizing the weight of the word that means ‘to wither, to wilt and to dry-out’ like the leaves (Psalm 1:3). He meant that Moses’ antithesis could slowly dry-out. But, it also meant that naval is a vile person, a miscreant, scoundrel (see Nabal, the evil and harsh husband of Abigail in 1 Samuel 25). Therefore, it was the last thing that Jethro desires for his son-in-law.

God many times calls a person, blesses them, but with those abundants of blessings comes a need for help. A man of God, like Moses should humble himself and let go of the little things and allow others to administer the small ‘cases’. Believe me, it’s not always easy for them to do this.

“’Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;
and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (19:5-6).

The Receiving of the Torah (the Law; correct translation: guidance or teaching) three months after the exodus from Egypt, falls according to Jewish scholars during Hebrew year of 2448 (1312 befor).

When the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah they practiced humility! Humility is the key to unity!

The Ten Commandments were engraved on two tablets. Both tablets were of equal size and contrary to popular belief, the two tablets were square and not rounded on top.

The right tablet contained the commandments about GOD and the left contained the commandments concerning man. The five commandments on the right contained 146 words and the five others on the left had only 26 words. Why? How the Jewish scholars explain this?

The left tablets, with mitzvot (commandments) for man, where written with bigger letters to add emphasis. Because one cannot claim piety by meticulously do Mitzvot toward God and ignore the commandments of how to treat our neighbor. Our relationship towards others plays a huge role in our relationship with God. Someone who is not faithful to people will not be faithful to God.

Why ten (commandments)? The Talmud tells us that the Ten Commandments correspond to the ten sayings God used to create the world. “So it teaches us that by keeping the ten Commandments, one preserves the universe!” – that’s why we need to be doers of the Word!
Shabbat Shalom