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Lehavas David · Parshas Lech Lecha · Maamar ג

Avraham's Eager Going: Keeping the First Fire of a Mitzvah

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 12:4
וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט וְאַבְרָם בֶּן־חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן
So Avram went, as Hashem had spoken to him, and Lot went with him; and Avram was seventy-five years old when he left Charan.
1“So Avram went, as Hashem had spoken to him.”1 The commentators, the Alshich and the Ohr HaChaim, ask why the verse needs to say “as Hashem had spoken to him.” The Torah has already said, “Hashem said … ‘Go for yourself,’”2 so we know that Avram was commanded to go. It would have been enough to say “So Avram went,” and no more.
וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳ (יב, ד)*. הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (אלשיך, אור החיים) עָמְדוּ בָּזֶה, מַדּוּעַ צָרִיךְ הַכָּתוּב לוֹמַר ׳כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳׳ אַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ וְגוֹ׳ לֶךְ לְךָ״, וּמִשָּׁם לְמֵדִים אָנוּ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ צִיוּוּי עַל הַהֲלִיכָה, וְאִם כֵּן הָיָה דַּי בְּאָמְרוֹ ׳וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם׳ וְתוּ לָא.
  1. The sefer's note: At the end of this parshah there are two more maamarim on this verse, which were said on the day of a yahrzeit. Bereishis 12:4. ↩
  2. Bereishis 12:1. ↩
In shortWhy does the verse add “as Hashem had spoken to him,” the commentators ask, when the command to go was already stated?
2We find the same thing at the end of the parshah: “Avraham took Yishmael … and circumcised … as God had spoken with him.”3 Here the holy Ohr HaChaim asks why the verse needs to say “as God had spoken with him,” when we were already told that Hashem commanded Avraham Avinu to circumcise himself and his whole household.4
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה מָצִינוּ גַּם בְּסִיּוּם הַפָּרָשָׁה (יז, כג) ״וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְגוֹ׳ וַיָּמָל וְגוֹ׳ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אִתּוֹ אֱלוֹקִים״, וְהִקְשָׁה בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ, מַדּוּעַ צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר ׳כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אִתּוֹ אֱלֹקִים׳ אַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר אָמוּר לְמַעְלָה שֶׁה׳ צִוָּה לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה לָמוּל אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְאֶת כָּל בֵּיתוֹ.
  1. Bereishis 17:23. ↩
  2. Bereishis 17:10–13. ↩
In shortThe same seemingly extra phrase closes the parshah, when Avraham circumcises his household, and the Ohr HaChaim asks the same question there.
3aMy holy father and teacher, zt"l, explained the verse “So Avram went” through a teaching in the sefer Toldos Adam, which its author cites in the name of his father, my holy ancestor the Rebbe of Lentshna, zt"l.5 The teaching concerns the verse “Avraham circumcised Yitzchak his son at eight days old.”6 The wording seems imprecise. The usual form for “eight days” is shemonah yamim, so why does the verse say shemonas yamim?7 The Rebbe of Lentshna explained that Avraham Avinu was all holy fire to do his Maker's will. He was like the holy Kedushas Levi, R' Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, zt"l, of whom it is told that on the first night of Sukkos he would stay awake all night. He would roar like a lion, dance and rejoice, and wait for the moment when he could at last take the lulav and esrog and make the blessing over them.
וכ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה אָמַר לְיַשֵּׁב הַכָּתוּב הַנִּזְכָּר וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם וְגוֹ׳, עַל פִּי מַה דְּאִיתָא בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם (וירא ד״ה וימל) בְּשֵׁם אָבִיו זְקֵנִי הרה״ק מִלענטשנא זצללה״ה, עַל הַפָּסוּק (כא, ד) ״וַיָּמָל אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ בֶּן שְׁמוֹנַת יָמִים״, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה הַלָּשׁוֹן אֵינוֹ מְדוּקְדָּק, דְּהָיָה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר ׳שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים׳. וּפֵירֵשׁ, כִּי אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה הָיָה כּוּלּוֹ אֵשׁ קוֹדֶשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן קוֹנוֹ, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁמְּסוּפָּר עַל הרה״ק הַקְּדוּשַּׁת לֵוִי זצללה״ה, שֶׁבְּלֵיל רִאשׁוֹן דְּסוּכּוֹת הָיָה נֵיעוֹר כָּל הַלַּיְלָה, וְשָׁאָג כַּאֲרִי וְרָקַד וְשָׂמַח וְצִיפָּה מָתַי כְּבָר יַגִּיעַ הַזְּמַן שֶׁיּוּכַל לִיטּוֹל הַלּוּלָב וְהָאֶתְרוֹג וּלְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם.
  1. Toldos Adam, Vayeira, s.v. Vayamol. The Toldos Adam is by R' Yehoshua of Ostrova, son of R' Shlomo Leib of Lentshna. ↩
  2. Bereishis 21:4. ↩
  3. Shemonah is the plain form of “eight”; shemonas is the bound (construct) form, as if “an eight of days.” ↩
3bThis is the meaning of “Avraham circumcised … shemonas yamim.” As soon as Hashem commanded him to circumcise Yitzchak, a wish, a desire and an eager longing began to burn in Avraham for the eighth day to come, so that he could fulfill his Creator's mitzvah. For all eight days his heart and soul were given over to that mitzvah alone. Because his thoughts and the strength of his yearning were set on circumcising his son all eight days, it was counted for him as though he were actually doing the mitzvah all eight days long. So the verse says shemonas: “Avraham circumcised Yitzchak his son shemonas yamim,” as though he were circumcising his son throughout all eight days.
וְזֶהוּ ״וַיָּמָל אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ׳ שְׁמוֹנַת יָמִים״, הַיְינוּ דְּמִיָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה לוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לָמוּל אֶת יִצְחָק, הִתְחִיל לִבְעוֹר בּוֹ רָצוֹן וְחֵשֶׁק וּצְפִיָּה שֶׁיָּבוֹא כְּבָר הַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וְיוּכַל לְקַיֵּים מִצְוֹות בּוֹרְאוֹ, וְכָל שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים, הָיוּ לִבּוֹ וְנַפְשׁוֹ נְתוּנִים רַק לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה. וְעַל יְדֵי מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וְעוֹצֶם תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ כָּל שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים לְקַיֵּים מִצְוַת מִילַת בְּנוֹ, נֶחְשָׁב לוֹ זֹאת כְּאִילּוּ קִיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה בְּפוֹעַל כָּל שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים, וְזֶהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳שְׁמוֹנַת׳, ״וַיָּמָל אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ שְׁמוֹנַת יָמִים״ הַיְינוּ שֶׁנֶּחְשָׁב לוֹ כְּאִילּוּ מָל אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ כָּל שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים.
In shortAvraham's burning longing through the eight days of waiting, the Rebbe of Lentshna taught, counted as though he circumcised Yitzchak all eight days.
4On this basis my holy father went on to explain the verse at the beginning of the parshah, “So Avram went, as Hashem had spoken to him.” As soon as Avraham heard Hashem's command “Go for yourself,” he was stirred with a fierce yearning to set out, and he began at once to prepare to fulfill it. He longed greatly to do the mitzvah in practice, but a short time passed before he was able to go. Since in his thoughts he wanted and longed to fulfill the mitzvah immediately, the verse credits him as though he had already done it. That is the meaning of “So Avram went, as (ka'asher) Hashem had spoken to him.” The word ka'asher, which can also mean “when,” shows that one thing followed right on the other. The very moment Hashem spoke to him, it was counted as though Avraham Avinu had already made the journey, though he had not yet set out. His thoughts and his tremendous yearning made it count for him as though he had gone at once. Those are his holy words.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה הוֹסִיף כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה לְבָאֵר אֶת הַפָּסוּק בְּרֵישׁ הַפָּרָשָׁה ״וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳״, הַיְינוּ דְּמִיָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אֶת צִיוּוּי ה׳ ׳לֶךְ לְךָ׳, מִיָּד נִתְעוֹרֵר בִּתְשׁוּקָה עַזָּה לָצֵאת לְדַרְכּוֹ, וְהִתְחִיל תֵּיכֶף בַּהֲכָנוֹת לְקַיֵּים מִצְוַת ה׳, וְהָיָה חוֹשֵׁק מְאֹד לְקַיֵּים אֶת הַמִּצְוָה מַמָּשׁ, אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּהָה זְמַן מוּעָט עַד שֶׁהָיָה סִיפֵּק בְּיָדוֹ לָלֶכֶת. וְאוּלָם כֵּיוָן שֶׁבְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ הָיָה רוֹצֶה וְחוֹשֵׁק מִיָּד לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה, לָכֵן מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ כְּבָר קִיְּימָהּ. וְזֶהוּ ״וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳״, דְּתֵיבַת ׳כַּאֲשֶׁר׳ מוֹרֶה עַל סְמִיכוּת הָעִנְיָינִים, הַיְיינוּ שֶׁתֵּיכֶף וּמִיָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳, נֶחְשָׁב כְּאִילּוּ כְּבָר קִיֵּים אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה אֶת הַהֲלִיכָה בְּפוֹעַל אַף שֶׁעֲדַיִין לֹא הֵחֵל בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ, וְהוּא עַל יְדֵי מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וּתְשׁוּקָתוֹ הָעֲצוּמָה, שֶׁבָּזֶה נֶחְשָׁב לוֹ כְּאִילּוּ מִיָּד הָלַךְ, עכד״ק.
In shortFrom the moment of the command, the Rebbe's father taught, Avraham's intense longing was credited to him as though he had already gone.
5aWe can also explain this another way. A foundational and essential principle of avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, is always to do the mitzvos with vitality and fervor, with holy fire. When Hashem commanded Avraham to go to the Land, Avraham was surely filled with fiery fervor to do the Creator's will. But human nature is such that if some time passes before the mitzvah can be done, the desire cools. Yet one of the foundations of avodah is to work at this. Even when time drags on until the mitzvah is actually done, a person's desire and fervor should stay exactly as they were at first, when he heard the command from the Holy One, blessed be He.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר בְּאוֹפֶן אַחֵר, דְּהִנֵּה יְסוֹד וְעִיקָּר בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת תָּמִיד אֶת הַמִּצְוֹות בְּחַיּוּת וּבְהִתְלַהֲבוּת בְּאֵשׁ קוֹדֶשׁ. וְהִנֵּה וַדַּאי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ עַל אַבְרָהָם מִצְוַת הַהֲלִיכָה לָאָרֶץ, אֲזַי נִתְמַלֵּא אַבְרָהָם הִתְלַהֲבוּת אֵשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא, אָכֵן הִנֵּה טֶבַע הַדְּבָרִים אֵצֶל כָּל בְּנֵי אָדָם, שֶׁאִם נִשְׁתַּהָה זְמַן מָה עַד עֵת עֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוָה, אֲזַי כְּבָר נִתְקָרֵר אֶצְלוֹ הַחֵשֶׁק. אַךְ אֶחָד מִיְּסוֹדוֹת הָעֲבוֹדָה הוּא, לַעֲמוֹל עַל זֶה שֶׁגַּם כְּשֶׁמִּתְמַשֵּׁךְ הַזְּמַן עַד קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָה בְּפוֹעַל, יִשָּׁאֵר חִשְׁקוֹ וְהִתְלַהֲבוּתוֹ כְּבַתְּחִילָּה מַמָּשׁ, כְּמוֹ בְּעֵת אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע הַצִּיוּוּי מִפִּי הקב״ה.
5bThis is how the holy sefarim, among them the Me'or Einayim, the Yismach Moshe and the Kol Mevaser of the Peshischa school, explain the verse “Go, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of Hashem.”8 At first glance it should have said “Come”; why does it say “Go”? The answer is that when people come and hear the word of Hashem, they surely take it in with great desire. Later, though, when they go to fulfill the mitzvah in practice, time has passed and the desire is gone. The main thing is to work at keeping the desire alive even after time has passed. That is “Go, children, listen to me”: even when you “go, children,” to do the mitzvah in practice, you should still have the same fervor you had when you heard the command, “listen to me.”
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (עיין מאור עינים וירא, ישמח משה דברים, קול מבשר (פשיסחא) תהלים) עַל הַפָּסוּק (תהלים לד, יב) ״לְכוּ בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ לִי יִרְאַת ה׳ אֲלַמֶּדְכֶם״, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר ׳בּוֹאוּ׳, וּמַהוּ ׳לְכוּ׳, אֶלָּא דְּבִזְמַן שֶׁבָּאִים וְשׁוֹמְעִים דְּבַר ה׳, אָז וַדַּאי הוּא שֶׁמְּקַבְּלִים הַדְּבָרִים בְּחֵשֶׁק גָּדוֹל, אַךְ לְאַחַר מִכֵּן כְּשֶׁהוֹלְכִים לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה בְּפוֹעַל, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכְּבָר עָבַר זְמַן נִפְסַק הַחֵשֶׁק, וְהָעִיקָּר הוּא לִפְעוֹל לְהַמְשִׁיךְ הַחֵשֶׁק גַּם לְאַחַר זְמַן. וְזֶהוּ ״לְכוּ בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ לִי״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁגַּם כְּשֶׁתֵּלְכוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַמִּצְוָה בְּפוֹעַל ׳לְכוּ בָנִים׳, תִּהְיוּ עֲדַיִין בְּאוֹתוֹ הִתְלַהֲבוּת כְּמוֹ בְּעֵת הַצִּיוּוּי ׳שִׁמְעוּ לִי׳.
  1. Tehillim 34:12; see Me'or Einayim, Vayeira; Yismach Moshe, Devarim; Kol Mevaser (Peshischa), Tehillim. ↩
5cIn the same way we can explain the verse “So Avram went, as Hashem had spoken to him.” Avraham actually set out for Eretz Yisrael some time after Hashem had commanded him. Even so, when he went, he had the same desire as though Hashem had commanded him that very moment. The verse at the end of the parshah, “Avraham took … as God had commanded him,” can be explained the same way.9
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר הַכָּתוּב ״וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳״, הַיְינוּ דְּגַם בְּעֵת הֲלִיכָתוֹ בְּפוֹעַל לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהָיָה כְּבָר לְאַחַר זְמַן מָה מֵעֵת שֶׁנִּצְטַוָּוה מִפִּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן גַּם אָז הָיָה לוֹ אוֹתוֹ הַחֵשֶׁק כְּאִילּוּ זֶה עַתָּה צִיוָּהוּ ה׳, וְכָךְ יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ גַּם מַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּסוֹף הַפָּרָשָׁה ״וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ׳ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה אֹתוֹ אֱלֹקִים״.
  1. The sefer quotes Bereishis 17:23 as “as God had commanded him,” the wording of 21:4; the verse itself reads “as God had spoken with him.” ↩
In shortAlternatively, Avraham set out with his first fervor intact; “Go, children, listen to me” teaches us to carry that first desire into the doing.
6On this principle we can explain a wording in the commands to remember the stand at Har Sinai and the Exodus from Egypt. The verses say, “Beware for yourself lest you forget … the day that you stood before Hashem your God at Chorev,”10 and “so that you remember the day of your going out of the land of Egypt.”11 Both verses use the word “day,” which seems unnecessary. It seems that the meaning is this: you should remember the Exodus and the stand at Har Sinai every day, with the same desire and fervor that Israel had on the day it left Egypt and on the day it stood before Har Sinai. On those days, with great longing, Israel came to a deep understanding of avodas Hashem. So too today, even after thousands of years, it is not enough to remember “your going out”; you must remember “the day of your going out.” You should try to remember it as though you were standing there on that very day, so that each person awakens in himself the same desire that was felt then, long ago.
וּבִיסוֹד הַנִּזְכָּר, יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ אֶת מַה שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּצִיוּוּי זְכִירַת מַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי וּזְכִירַת יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, הָאָמוּר בִּפְסוּקִים ״הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח וְגוֹ׳ יוֹם אֲשֶׁר עָמַדְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ בְּחוֹרֵב״ (דברים ד, ט-י) ״לְמַעַן תִּזְכּוֹר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם״ (דברים טז, ג), וּבִשְׁנֵיהֶם הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב תֵּיבַת ׳יוֹם׳, וְלִכְאוֹרָה הִיא לְמוֹתָר. אֶלָּא נִרְאֶה לְפָרֵשׁ, דְּהַכַּוָּונָה לוֹמַר שֶׁתִּזְכּוֹר אֶת יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם וּמַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי בְּכָל יוֹם, בְּאוֹתָהּ חֵשֶׁק וְהִתְלַהֲבוּת שֶׁהָיוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וּבְאוֹתוֹ יוֹם שֶׁעָמְדוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי, שֶׁהִשִּׂיגוּ אָז הַשָּׂגוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת לַעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם בְּהִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת גְּדוֹלָה, כְּמוֹ כֵן הַיּוֹם, אַף אַחַר שֶׁעָבְרוּ אַלְפֵי שָׁנִים, לֹא דַּי שֶׁתִּזְכּוֹר אֶת ׳צֵאתְךָ׳ אֶלָּא אֶת ׳יוֹם צֵאתְךָ׳, לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִזְכּוֹר כְּאִילּוּ הִינְּךָ עוֹמֵד בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, שֶׁיְּעוֹרֵר כָּל אֶחָד בְּעַצְמוֹ חֵשֶׁק כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה אָז מִקֹּדֶם.
  1. Devarim 4:9–10. Chorev is another name for Sinai. ↩
  2. Devarim 16:3. ↩
In short“Day” in the commands to remember Sinai and the Exodus teaches us to recall them daily with the fervor Israel felt on that very day.
7May Hashem grant that we be privileged to serve Him with vitality and to bring the redemption near, speedily. Amen.
יִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְעָבְדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ מִתּוֹךְ חַיּוּת, וּלְקָרֵב הַגְּאוּלָּה בִּמְהֵרָה, אָמֵן:
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we serve Hashem with vitality and so bring the redemption near, speedily.
Takeaway

Avraham longed for the mitzvah so strongly that his waiting was counted as doing, and when he finally set out he went with the same fire he had felt when Hashem spoke to him. Our desire tends to cool while we wait to act, and our work is to carry the fervor of hearing into the hour of doing. In the same way we are asked to remember Sinai and the Exodus each day as though we were standing there now, and to awaken that first desire again.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

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