Shabbat Parshat Bereshit - 5763
Quantity and Quality

As recorded at the beginning of Sefer Bereshit, on the Sixth “Day” of Creation, Adam and Chava were created. That was the first Rosh HaShanah, the Yom Harat Olam, the Birthday of the World. That “Day” was the beginning of human history, when the actions of the human being, involving the exercise of bechirah chofshit, free choice, became significant.

In the First Family, we see the breakdown of human relationships. Chava gives questionable advice to Adam (Bereshit 3:6), causing him to eat from the Eitz HaDaat, the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. One of their sons, Kayin, commits the first murder, the victim being his brother, Hevel (Bereshit 4:8). Not until the time of Avraham and Sarah will we see the “Family” redeemed.

Avraham rescues Lot from the hands of the Sodomites (Bereshit 14:14-16), and pleads with G-d in behalf of the human “Family” after G-d informs Avraham of His intention to destroy Sodom (Bereshit 18:23-33). When Yishmael mocks Yitzchak at the family celebration of Yitzchak’s weaning (Bereshit 21:10), Sarah advises Avraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, with Yitzchak.” When Avraham hesitates (Bereshit 21:11), HaShem counsels Avraham (Bereshit 21:12), “Let it not be grievous in your eyes, because of the lad, and because of your bondwoman; in all that Sarah says to you, listen to her, for in Yitzchak your seed will be called.”

When HaShem makes known to Avraham that Sarah will bear him a child, his initial response is, “It would be enough if my son Yishmael, live before you” (Bereshit 17:18). HaShem insists that Yitzchak will be his true heir, but assures Avraham, “And as for Yishmael, I have heard you. Behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant will I establish with Yitzchak, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time, next year” (Bereshit 17:20-24).

Later, when Yitzchak’s wife, Rivkah, bears two sons, Yaakov and Esav, we observe another, stronger, conflict between the parents, as to the quality of their sons. “And Yitzchak loved Esav, for he relished his venison; but Rivkah loved Yaakov” (Bereshit 25:28). Much needs to be said regarding Yitzchak’s apparent preference for Esav, but let it suffice now that there was a deep parental divide concerning the sons. When the time comes for Yitzchak to bless his sons, at first glance it appears that he wants to pass the spiritual Blessing of Avraham to Esav (Bereshit 27:1-3). Rivkah, however, manipulates matters so that Blessing is given to Yaakov (Bereshit 27:4-29). Esav, learning of this, becomes enraged at Yaakov. He begs his father to bless him as well, which Yitzchak does (Bereshit 27:34-40).

I’ve never understood the statement of HaShem to Avraham, “Look now at the heavens, and count the stars, if you can count them; and He said to him, ‘Such will be your seed.’ ” For statistics have shown that while today there are more than a billion each of Muslims and Christians, Jewish population remains, seemingly frozen at Biblical and Temple levels, between twelve and eighteen million souls. This is of course due to the seemingly endless persecution, massacres and holocausts that have been visited upon the Jewish People by a world that cannot come to terms with our existence.

By contrast, scholars have noted that the population of China during the time of the Temple was approximately twelve million. Today, of course, their population far exceeds one billion, because they have experienced a relatively tranquil existence.

Perhaps the resolution to this problem is that when HaShem promises Avraham that his seed will be as innumerable as the stars, the reference is to Yishmael and Esav, who were also blessed as the “seed” of Avraham, the “father of a multitude of nations” (Bereshit 17:5).

Moshe Rabbeinu will describe for the Jewish People on the eve of their entry into the Holy Land, their unique destiny:

“For you are a holy people to the L-rd your G-d. The L-rd your G-d has chosen you to be a special people to Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The L-rd did not set His love upon you, or choose you, because you were more in number than any people, for you are the fewest of all peoples. But because the L-rd loved you, and because He would keep the oath that He had sworn to your fathers...” (Devarim 7:7-8)

Rabbi Pinchas Frankel

Archive