Between Avraham and Lot: A Tale of Faith and Temptation (Ohr Hachaim)

Show Notes
Transcript

What if the most significant challenge you faced wasn't about the potential rewards but about sticking to your faith, no matter what? Join us as we trace the journey of Avrum, the young, dynamic Torah personality on the brink of becoming the chief Rabbi of a new community. Despite the allure of wealth, honor, and a promising future, Avrum's struggle isn't centered around the perks of the role - it's about staying true to God's word.

Take a deep breath as we dissect and reconstruct the complex biblical narrative guided by the wisdom of Reb Chaim ibn Attar, the great Ohr Hachaim. We trace Avrum's ability to remain steadfastly to what is right because "Hashem said so." As we unravel the story, you'll see the stark contrast between Avrum and Lot, whose downfall was his pursuit of wealth. This episode isn't just a dive into a biblical story - it's a mirror for us to reflect on our motivations. Are we, like Avrum, able to follow the path because it's the right thing to do? Or are we, like Lot, constantly seeking the 'goodies'? Brace yourself - this isn't an episode you want to miss.

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Transcript

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Just imagine you are a young, dynamic Torah personality learning in base Medrash Gavoah.

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The great ones, the G'daylei Ullum and the Rashi Yashivas, have their eye on you.

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You're noted as a dynamic lecturer and a brilliant author of K'dushet Torah.

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And then you get a message that the G'daylum, the Rashi Yashivas of BMG, they want you to travel out to a new community to be the chief Rav, job you've always wanted.

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You're going to be honored.

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They're going to add the name Lord to your name.

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You're actually God forbid, not the kind that emits a pru or revu, yet you have no children.

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So there, they give you a bracha.

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You will have a special merit to have children and you know what will tap on a half a million dollar salary Just because why not?

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Did you consider that a test?

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Our parasha says Va yaimera shemal avrum, lech lecha, go for yourself.

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Rashi says it's going to be good for you.

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Lehanascha uletaycha, you are going to have children.

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If you go, you're going to be rich.

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If you go, you're going to have so much honor if you go.

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Did you imagine that to be a Nisayon?

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Yet we know that this is one of the ten great tests that Avrum was able to stand up and endure through.

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How do we make sense of this?

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And for most of us, just the money.

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We'd probably leave our hometowns.

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So few have surgically peeled apart a pusuk and built it back up with such a beautiful idea and with such masterful perfection, like Rebchaim ibn Atar, the great Or'echayim.

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And he says here something so beautiful.

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He says exactly this was the test for Avrum.

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The challenge was was Avrum going to go for all the money and wealth or was it just going to go Because Hashem said so?

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And the word of God needs to be followed.

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And he reads it beautifully in the pusukim Versus as Va yaimera, which is a way of speaking to somebody very peacefully, in a way of endowing them with something.

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It's very pleasant.

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But then later on, when Avrum decides to actually leave and go, it says that Avrum went kashair debair, a love, like God said, which is a much more strict, a way of just doing something because it's the right thing to do.

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And this is exactly it.

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First, it's about yo mer.

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It's pleasant and good, but Avrum did it because it was a debair.

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And you know what else the pusuk reads so beautifully.

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He says why did Avrum go?

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Va yailech Avrum kashair debair, a love, hashem.

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Because God said go.

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The idea is that, with all of the great blessings and shefa of kadooshah and of parnashah that come from keeping Hashem's Torah should follow Avrum and that you do it because Hashem said so.

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And the next phrase of the pusuk and you know what else?

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And Lot followed along Yelech etolot.

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But Lot was a separate part of the pusuk because he just went because maybe there was going to be some wealth and some aishir, and that was ultimately his downfall when he was looking for the goodies.

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So he eventually left to go to Sedum To do mitzvahs because, yes, you may get reward and yes, a lot of goodies will come from them, but ultimately act like Avrum that you do things.

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Kashair debair, a love Hashem.

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Because Hashem said so.

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