Lech Lecha: L’ ilui Nishmas Avraham Zev ben Yaakov – Dr. Abe Chames
Chofetz Chaim on Parshas Lech Lecha
In Parshas Lech Lecha, the passuk states, “Vehe’emin baHashem vayach’shivehah lo tzedakah- And he (Avraham) trusted in Hashem, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (15:6). Immediately before this passuk, Hashem promises Avraham that he will become as numerous as the stars in the sky. Although Avraham was almost one hundred years old at the time that he received this brachah, the Torah tells us that he still “trusted in Hashem.” Chazal tell us that Avraham recognized his creator at the age of three and he compared Him to the owner of a palace. Just like a palace must have an owner and a builder, so too this world must have an owner and a creator. However, despite all of Avraham’s greatness and accomplishments, the only praise that he receives in the Torah is that he had emunah, belief, in Hashem. The Chofetz Chaim tells us that we can learn from here that the most essential fundamental in life is emunah in Hashem. As it says in Tanach, “V’tzaddik b’emunaso yich’yeh- A righteous person lives through his faith” (Chavakuk 2:4).
The Chofetz Chaim compares the importance of emunah to a person who is drowning at sea, and he sees a tree floating in front of him. He is going to put all of his effort to grab hold of the actual trunk of the tree and not the branches or leaves. The same applies to us- the Etz HaChaim, tree of life, that we must hold onto is emunah in Hashem and His Torah. We must hold onto it tightly with all of our strength and never loosen our grip, and with the power of our emunah may we bring the Geulah in Yerushalayim.
Good Shabbos!
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