Hashem Reveals Himself To Avraham
Avraham (Abraham) was privileged to have Hashem (God) reveal Himself to him. As we see in the opening of our parashah (Torah portion), Hashem appeared to Avraham, telling him to leave his land and begin a new journey. Yet, so much already happened before this moment that prepared Avraham for this revelation.
Avraham grew up in a society completely steeped in idol worship. No one around him spoke about Hashem. Instead, people bowed to statues of wood and stone. His own father, Terach, ran an idol shop! Idolatry was everywhere yet somehow, Avraham saw through the falsehood and discovered the truth on his own. How did he manage to do that?
A Curious Mind
The Rambam (Avodah Zarah 1:3) explains that from a young age, Avraham was fascinated by the world around him. He would look up at the sky, watch the stars, and ask himself, “Who is moving everything? It can’t all just happen on its own.” By thinking deeply and asking questions, Avraham came to realize that the world must have a Creator and that all the idols his peers worshipped were meaningless.
It was Avraham’s sincerity and clarity that brought Hashem to reveal Himself to him. From that moment, the Jewish nation began. We were chosen to be Hashem’s messengers in this world all in the merit of our ancestor Avraham, who looked at the world with wonder and appreciation.
We can follow his example by noticing the miracles around us every day: the green hills, the colorful flowers, the endless ocean, the intricate design of the human body. Hashem truly created a magnificent world!
A Reminder For Us
The Alter of Kelm explains that this is why the first berachah (blessing) of the Shemoneh Esrei (the silent Amida prayer) speaks about the Avot (Patriarchs) – Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). The purpose of the first three berachot is to praise Hashem, so why do we mention the Avot? Because they reached closeness to Hashem even before the Torah was given simply by appreciating His greatness and contemplating His kindness. When we mention them, it reminds us to follow their path and strengthen our own appreciation for everything Hashem does. (Chachmah U’Mussar 1:129)
The Rambam (Yesodei HaTorah 2:2) writes that this is actually the ideal way to come to love and fear Hashem:
“How does one come to love and fear Hashem? When a person contemplates His handiwork and His wondrous creations, he will recognize wisdom that has no bounds and immediately, he will love and praise Hashem with great longing…”
A Mitzvah To Notice Hashem
At first, one might think that noticing the beauty of the world is simply a good habit. But the Chovot HaLevavot (Sha’ar HaBechinah, Hakdamah) teaches that it is actually an obligation. He brings many sources from Scripture and Chazal to show that we are required to reflect on Hashem’s creations and recognize His greatness through them.
He gives examples: the wonders of the human body: the gift of sight, hearing, speech, and movement; the miracle of food and how every species receives what it needs; the warmth and light we gain from the sun; the miracle of childbirth, memory, and communication. These are just a few of the countless examples he lists. He writes, “The most direct way to obtain a clear understanding of Hashem’s presence is by examining the wisdom in His creations.”
Surrounded by Nature
A touching story illustrates this idea.
A girl with little Jewish background was on vacation in Hawaii with her family. As she stood on the beach watching the powerful waves crash against the shore, she was struck by the beauty and power of nature. She began to feel that there must be something deeper behind it all, something she had been taking for granted.
Later, during a hike, she noticed tall bamboo shoots with bark striped in gold and green. Thinking they must have been painted, she looked up and saw that the stripes continued all the way up, over fifty feet high. Amazed, she exclaimed, “G-d has quite a paintbrush!”
That trip changed her life. The beauty of nature dissolved her doubts about G-d’s existence. When she returned home, she decided to learn more about Judaism, eventually becoming fully observant! All because she was inspired through noticing the wonders of the world Hashem created. (Like Water on a Rock, p. 2)
May we be zocheh (worthy) to follow in Avraham’s footsteps and open our eyes to Hashem’s breathtaking world.
By Rabbi Daniel Shasha, author of “Living Appreciation”
