Many people wonder why the Torah does not give us any explicit background information about Avraham Avinu, and how he emerged to be the greatest spiritual leader. Various answers are offered, and I want to suggest just one lesson Torah teaches by starting the story of Avraham at the precise moment it does.
At the start of Parshat Lech Lecha Avraham sets out on a journey. In trying to understand why Hashem was so ambiguous about Avraham’s final destination (to a land that I will show you), the Sfat Emet suggests that Hashem was giving Avraham the opportunity to show his greatness, which was his willingness to display his faith by following the command of Hashem even when he did not understand where his mission would take him.
This is perhaps the most pivotal moment in Avraham’s life, as it is here that Avraham put into action all of the theological and philosophical thoughts that he had over the past decades of his life. In taking this giant leap of faith forward into the unknown, Avraham was finally able to both demonstrate and establish his faith through action. This was not only a display of great and genuine faith, but also a deepening of Avraham's trust and belief in G-d.
Imagine the first time you have the opportunity to demonstrate your love, appreciation, or trust in someone close to you - certainly you feel an excitement as well as a deepening of the feelings that you had all along when they are finally expressed in action. That is precisely the ecstasy that Avraham felt in finally being able to not only think about the Divine or even speak to the Divine, but to finally show his awareness of G-d’s greatness by "blindly" and faithfully following his command.
Judaism is not a religion of mindless action, but just the same it is not a religion whose practice is in theory alone. Avraham’s early years of meditating about the Divine was essential, and learning about G-d is fundamental to living a Torah life and growing spiritually, but that is just part of what Judaism is about. While Judaism is a religion of deep thought and constant contemplation, the essence of Jewish faith is putting the theory into practice. May we all continue to strengthen our trust in all our relationships, and continue to seize opportunities to demonstrate, inculcate, and reinforce our beliefs by putting them into practice. Shabbat Shalom, Taly
