Parshat Lech Lecha: Why was Abraham Chosen? - Rabbi Shlomo Schiller

[Music] shopping sheet were talking about the beginning of the world creation right the story of Adam Eve man human being the sin right the generation of the flood the Babylonian Tower right so we got the right the first almost 2,000 years right we get the beginning of creation but in parashat left laka something very important is happening Hashem is approaching to a man who is that man Ephraim Avenue right we all Jewish people call him Abraham a father right we have the three patriarchs Avram it's archaic of but Abram is the first one so for us the Jewish people right this is really starting history in one way right the patriarchs of our movie news dots so let's see let me show you some insights in the parish ah right what do we see in a vs. and what we derive unbelievable messages for us okay so let's start let's start from in the very beginning via mail Hashem right Hashem appears a love arm lifts liquor so what's left like ha what right left is go for yourself right right what is for yourself over here what that means yeah but before that gopher I just said I didn't get there yet right left let her go for yourself what it means for yourself for your future for your sake okay right so go for yourself right so right the idea is for yourself here means the whole future is waiting for you if rahama vino right he's going to be the greatest man ever Mavi no it's not going to happen here he must leave this place here and he must travel to a place that God will tell him I know we did the great potential of album Aveeno will happen only over there we're going to see very interesting ideas here but one of the things that you do see right we do believe guys that a place makes an influence on a man and this is one of the places God calls him over he won't achieve and be able to reach the potential of our mother me no it's not going to happen here you must leave this place and travel to the place that I will tell you one so place second thing is name guys how how what's his name here I've learned what it is what is it missing at this point ah-hey right Avraham he doesn't have yet the full name of our harm later on God will fill up the name complete his name of a ham and that will give up on their spiritual energy that he has to achieve to be the father of all Jewish people ok so that's less like a means for yourself meaning to achieve the accomplish to reach who you have to be and that must be only in a different place ok so let's look at from where we should go may I let's see huh what's out soccer your land ummah melody tika from your place of birth so leave your land right leave right your place of birth me bata visa right your house of your father in ha Alex to the land a share America to the land that I will show you okay so now leave your land what's your land so let's say the place that he was living yeah the country okay what's moolaade me moledet aha a place of birth what is that so we said leave your land right so land is your country living no so what's more la da da hai your place of birth and then it says me betta vika means a family all of these are the conference of human being right everybody most you're comfortable with the the country that you live the area that you live your family right so God is telling him you're a bit have to sacrifice right a little bit in order to achieve to get right to what you have to reach you have to leave this place it's not going to happen here and will be in a different place right so something will have to take out the place of birth actually means the culture right so in America sports is baseball right in Europe is soccer right Italy here we have Italy right soccer in Chile soccer okay right so that's what it means it means that Alvin will have to leave all the things that he's familiar with and comfortable with to go to a different place so it's the land the country that you live when lada Turki means the culture that he used to so whatever was the culture of the day at that time right like you see over here today nowadays right every country has his culture his things and your house of your father in her eyelids to the land I sure I got to run down there I'll show you now that God mentioned where is that land no doesn't say right so are you familiar guys you know that Abram was tested with ten tests right and this is one of them Hashem is testing Abraham again this is the very beginning and this is very important because like I show you this is starting history for the Jewish people this is showing us how Abraham became Abraham right so Shannon says to him go to the land that I will show you he did not mention even where so just pack the suitcase and start the travel and as you go I'll tell you where right so no Way's no GPS just follow my instructions right you realize yeah that's part of the test just I'm saying is that you see to make the test even greater right it's not telling me okay you know you're going to I want you to get to Israel you know and we'll take Sun so time right get ready no go blind just follow me to the land that I will show you right so it's just making the test that Abram is going is making it greater okay let's go on what's going to happen over there that great place right so travel leave this place over here it's not going to happen right let's look how go for yourself you have to accomplish you have to achieve you have to become Abraham right you have to go to a different place what's going to happen in that place very strongly cool God all right I'll make you two big nation right the of Valka and I'll bless you that I got lash McConnell increase your name via bracha and you be blessed so let's understand a bit the diverse so Rashi on the simple level says like this usually people that travel right and travel for a long time right so it takes time right they the traveling rights are they're busy and the traveling severe nap is in the business they're not busy with the family right so it takes away from the things that they really have to take care so God's told them don't worry right I'll take care of all the problems of the traveling right I'll increase you right I'll make you a big nation I'll bless you and I'll increase your name so don't worry about all the things that usually happen to people that travel right I'll bless you you'll have a family right i starlagurl the dollar big nation right financially I'll also support you also help you out right and also your name don't worry about your name I'll increase your name okay the IVA now listen to this verse 3 so basically he's telling you he's telling him all good you'll have descent you laugh he'll be wealthy we'll have money right and he'll increase his name Abram will become a famous man a father of other nations as well right all good okay vodka muhahaha I'll bless the ones that are blessing you Oh McHale alayka and the people that are cursing you are all I'll curse them vanilla who behan everybody else will be blessed with you all the people in in the land because of you Abram that you'll be so great and help others so others will be blessed as well okay so we read now three verses if 3/4 vote verses in the Torah and you see the idea is that Hashem comes to Abram and toss him okay right you know we got to move on right you have to achieve yet accomplish to be Abraham right not a from Abram later on God will add his name and it's not going to happen here but later but right and he's promising him great things great things children family money who will increase his name who be famous right he will have influence on others what's missing here is if you really look into it it looks like that this is starting in the middle of a story why did God come to Abraham we stopped our shuttle F laka Hashem said to Abraham leave your land leave your place place of birth leave your family go for yourself for your future for your own sake for your own good right great things I'm promising you right it looks like we're missing the beginning of the story why did I shall come to a bruh do you understand what I'm asking like let me just make the question strong a bit like we found earlier remember the generation of the flood the whole generation is messed up messed up the behavior messed up the acting human being is acting terribly but one man was acting righteous who's that one man look right so in in a in the end of the parish a fetish sheet right God sees the behavior of human being right and the just right God sees the behavior of human being that they're acting with the evil inclination thinking all day to do bad right that's what says in verse five in the page 26 right Hashem sees the the action that bad actions the bad behavior of the people by Yara simcha Kabbalah turrets is so big and so great the evil of human being and the the evil inclination right and they're thinking only to do bad verse six via Hamish a machine regret so to speak right on the human being that he created okay and he said let me destroy all human being right and all animals all creation and verse eight says the narcos one man when favor in the eyes of God who's that one man knock knock matzah and inertia so Noah right found favor in the eyes of God in the eyes of a chef that's why it makes sense you see those one righteous man arrived in an area one righteous man an area and that's why after when Hashem says okay so we have to get rid of the evil of the dead but we'll continue the world and who continued the world who be the survivor of the world No right so you see that that's why God communicates written off he's the only righteous man around so God decided okay so we'll get rid of all the evil all the bad destroy all the world and start again Plan B right but over here in this week's parasha right we go active page 54 the aperture just says one day a sham appears to Avram leave your place leave your country right leave the right or what we mentioned he promises him great things and the question is what why Abram okay so the truth is like this is a lot of meat machine that are written and telling us stories about Abram how great he was right Abram was searching all over the world right to find the Creator right I said the Midrash means that in many at one point too is thinking wow look at the Sun is so powerful gives life gives eat and watch me the Sun is the god right but then when the Sun set it says oops so who now is the power right and then the moon right but the night is over the stars right so anyways Abram and his own discovered and came to the conclusion that is something right above all this somebody that created all this and somebody that created the world he's still in charge of running this road what we see in front of us right in nature the world right the the trees growing right and the different species and the Sun and the moon and the seasons right all of this is not happy next Bentley ok if you see something in order he came to the conclusion that somebody is behind it and somebody created it more than that Abram also right his father was tell what piraka was selling idols statues right and the Midrash brings a whole story you're familiar with it that one day Terah had a leave to go to town right to go to the doctor to go whatever right and he leaves who they watching away on the shop son of them right and Abram went and smashed all the statues so his father comes back and says what is this mess what's going on so right long story short right Abram says oh don't let's could happen right I gave two to the big statue to eat and the small one was upset they started to fight right that right and the whole right so they started a big fight and therefore they killed each other right so smashed each other so said what you mean they can't move they can't talk so he said so while you're serving them right so right so Abram was fighting right and all this is in the mid because she it's not written in the Torah we know that also Abram was from into a furnace right right Nimrod Nimrod the king that was rebelling against God rebelling against believing in God right through into the furnace right and he survived that's all custom so we know a lot but all that is in the Midrash why it's not written well one of the answers that I heard and I think it makes beautiful sense and has a lot of truth into it is the following in PK a vote says the following statement I have aa what Ahava love I have a clue yeah that is depended right but the vowel on something right so love that is dependent on something on a reason what happens if there's something or the reason disappears the the does the love remain or does the love disappear oh very good very good let's give an example the children love right the Candyman of the show right why they love the Candyman because he gives candy what happens if she makes a decision that no more candy anymore so they still love him I know okay so this is an easy one but obviously you could take it right more serious area marriage right a boy meets a girl right and he loves her he loves her for many reasons right it could be for the external look it could be for behavior could be for personality it could be for many reasons together but if it's only for one reason right let's say the beauty right god forbid what happens if after a few years she fell into a car accident and she doesn't have that beautiful look like she had ten years ago does he still love her no okay so healthy marriage will be that you'll still because it shouldn't be only external right right it should be also internal not internal correct so if it's based only something external that will be like the kids liking the Candyman and if it's no no candy anymore so they don't like him anymore but a marriage should be more than their right marriage is about building right without the Shem we should have a separate class for marriage but just in the brackets in the meantime right the idea is marriage you really building something so when a boy meets a girl and he loves her it's okay when influence with the external that's right right we're human being we're influence for sure right but the idea shouldn't be only an external it should be internal and it should be about the behavior the personality the partnership that you having together and therefore even if she doesn't look exactly like she look ten years ago perhaps the love will stay the same and even sometimes you know what you'll be surprised even more because you feel that you're on a mission right and God is testing you that this is what you're supposed to do okay so that's the statement in B R K R vote love a Havas a clue yeah ba da vowel if it's love that is depended on something if is a reason it was external reason for this love if the reason disappears right so the Lovell disappear also right Harry but if it's love that is unconditional right that love will stay for ever so God wants relationship with the Jewish people what kind of love God wants with the Jewish people conditional unconditional unconditional love that's why by Yamaha Chimel Avram Alvin Hashem is a painter Avram write album it will be the patriarch starting the write the history of the Jewish people is timing the love the relationship that I'll have with you and your disciples and yet the descendants to come is unconditional love so therefore we actually are coming in the middle of the story we don't know and the Torah doesn't mention why Abram was chosen why because it's unconditional love it's unconditional love no matter what God will always love the Jewish people right it's an unconditional love that will be forever that's why the reason why Abram chose why God chose Abraham is not written okay for the idea of the strong relationship right and this special relationship that God will have with the Jewish people unconditional love God promises him great things like we said I'll increase your name so that's like I showed you that we believe that a name is an influence that a man also Abram waters wouldn't be able to achieve to be what he's supposed to be with the name of God without there without the hey only right when he gets the extra letter hey he's able to accomplish to achieve right what he has to be for example we even in our days God said bit when somebody's ill or sick what they do many times is they add a name like the name hyeme what time life FAL to him right if what he'll recovery alright so there are good names right that they you know give god forbid somebody is sick right so that's the idea of a man who get right his name his full name and then he will able to achieve who he is let's go on a minute verse 3 the valkaama vaca I'll bless the ones that are blessing you McHale Elisha uh-oh and the one that are cursing you I'll curse what happens guys let me another one interesting idea we derive from here what happens if somebody was on door thinking to do good he was on wait the shul right The Devonshire eat and he slipped and he broke his leg is he getting rewards for wanting to go to Davin in a minion and shoe oh he didn't make it so tough luck we have the idea the Talmud teaches us math shava what smack shava a thought right Tovah a good for how Kadosh Baruch right God counts it as an action when a man has a good thought to do God counted as the action ready so right the idea is because God knows really what's in their heart and if the man really wanted to do it he had pure and good intention really that he wanted to do it God's knows what's going on and therefore God says okay I'll canted as if that was done but what about the opposite guys a man was on a way to rob a bank right and his bad day right that police officers around and all the area he says no way I can do it makes a u-turn and goes back so so do we count it as a crime enough oh by the by this sin we don't say hey you really wanted to do this in you really wanted to rob the bank but the police officer is now an area blocked you from doing it so therefore we'll still punish you on what stole right put in your account for stealing right we don't do that right so that's in one of the good ways how God sees things that when you plan it to do a mitzvah is in your account right but when you wanted to do a very sin it's not in your account we we derive it we derive it from the verse over here look what says here verse three the add vodka what's bad about huh the Ivanka verse 3 I will bless who-who God will bless me Veronica the ones that wanna bless you so you see what says first the ones that bless you I will bless or owl bless the one that want to bless you what's his first I'll bless God is teaching us I'll bless those that want to bless you so because God sees the intention already and he's willing to bless haha I'll bless first the ones that want it bless you ok you see the order ha ha I'll bless the ones that want to bless you because God sees already knows the intention the ones that want to do good the one I wanted bless Abraham and therefore he's willing to bless them first before they actually bless that's by their good what says by the bad guys Oh what says by the bad look carefully McHale Elisha and the one that want to curse you I will curse the you see the difference what says here it doesn't say I will curse the one that wanna curse you it says the ones that will curse you I'll curse them only after they did the action yes yes that that two words for in Hebrew lala for cursing sorry Quebec Lala and Allah all not all means also to curse oh ok so you see over there in a bed right ooh Makka Liliha the ones that actually will curse you all curse them only after they did the action ok so that's the good news that when man is thinking to do good right God sees it and it'll be good in his account but when somebody think him to do bad and actually didn't work out so bolsa shame you are saved and it will not be in your account ok ok let's go back a minute this diverse bill before so God says him I'll make you a big nation right I'll bless you on an Chrissy named Vega Baja and you'll be blessed so what it means variable aha so while she brings here two explanations now she says right in the end of a verse to the yet baraja now she says that he'll have the power of blessing Abram will have the power blessing okay which is great okay another explanation God Rashi brings Shmona say how do we stop when I say guys bah ha ha Shem right bless you God the God of Abraham the god of it's got the god of Yakko that's how a Jew starts when sa three times a day that's how when the gathering on shake Nessa tuck de la put together - 1 si the prayer that we pray till today this is how we start the show an answer we are connecting to the Patriots the God of Abraham the god of Isaac the God of Jacob how do we end the blessing the first blessing how do we end Bogota Shem magan the shield of a bra right we ended only with Abram so how she brings the explanation and saying that the end right will be ending the blessing only with Abraham right we stop the blessing with the three patriarchs right Abram right Isaac and Jacob but we close the blessing we finish the blessing only with other so what is that so let's see what do we send a blessing Melek what's mana King was there what was their helper mushiya what's Messiah savor right the savour so you have king is a king right he's fine he's the power he's the king of the place right right King means that he's controlling right okay or zero what was there you said helper and mushiya is savior savior what's the difference between helper to save guy's a man falls into pit to be a few situations one situation the man could stand on his legs on his foot right but he needs help to go out so we do well for a rope right and he'll climb out right we helped him to go out that's open Savior means the guy broke his leg he fell in the pit he cannot move well how we did how would do we take him out from the pit we gotta go down to the pit all right bring I would call it the the a Luka the the this stretcher that he should lie down on it right and take him out of the pit did he do something the man that the victim the guy that got injured he's passive right we saved him right we took him out of this so helper means with the action of the man God sometimes is helping us we are limping we are injured but in a way that we can still do something right saver is the yo-yo in bad shape and we cannot help ourselves we need somebody to save us the finishing saver is like you said but there's this that gives a defines it right and sometimes is even without an action was just he's carrying us right and taking us out of the pit so they're different times and right in history how the Jewish people are behaving sometimes God is so God is the king Mela was there he helps us that we are limping we're injured but we could still walk right sometimes we are unable to walk we're sitting on in the pit right we can move and God is carrying us and taking us out of the pit so what is McGann's what is shield so if we explained help and Savior what is the shield ah very good the shield is the best guys will be very smart from a man they go and build a friends around the pit that no one should fall into the pit right why to wait that somebody has to fall into the pit and you might have to help him or save him well the smartest thing is there right put a fence around the pit that nobody should fall there that's the idea right McGinn of a harm and that's the idea history starts the Jewish people start with a vom Avena right the father of the Jewish people history will end also where do we find also McGinn with a nail shield Makenna bomb in Shmona so we say McGhee neva very good King David also right we same again David their peers and the blessings that we say for after huh right McGinn Davi the shield of David we know that Messiah who will be from the descendants of David so the ideas like this God is telling him you'll be blessed because history right we'll stop with Abram arena and it's going to end with the shield of Abraham shield of Abram is going to connect to the shield of David mushiya who come from King David and idea is really was the Abram was a master for what for cardless for helping others history is going to end in a way that if we the Jewish people will act like Abram right sharing caring kindness for others right that will bring machine so when we end the blessing McGann of Ahom deshielded of Abram means the idea of that we really right should act like Avram Aveeno right the caring care for others responsible father's right and that how that will bring McGann dahveed the shield of David and that will be the completion right I'm bringing the final redemption for the Jewish people so that's what it means closing the blessing it doesn't mean only the technically idea that would close the blessing what Abram is more than that is closing the history with the final redemption with the shield of David right eventually Beata Shem when God will decide when is the right time of the Jewish people are doing or not doing but it's the time right to bring Messiah that will bring the shield of David which will connect to the shield of Abraham that's the ultimate that's the best that we shouldn't fall into the pit anymore that will be the final redemption you see this is the test of Abraham right Abram goes right away he doesn't ask question why I should leave this place you know I'm very comfortable here with the family with the country doesn't ask any question right he doesn't ask to where I should go right goes right away right but yeh Liholiho in verse 4 well Ivanka shielded by the lavash M just like God told him benefit a lot right lot is his nephew that he's gone with him and Abram is right 75 years old when he's live in that place haha ok verse 5 a Kaka vomits a lie in store he talks his wife a clot been achieved the son of his brother which is his nephew that cholera who shall all the wealth at an official and they're taking all the nefesh what is all the nephesh all the souls right that they made in Quran but this is referring to what oh the Abram had offsprings at this point no no so who are these souls that Abram is taking with them so well he mentioned a lot we said look carefully his his wife's are his nephew lot his wealth right and the souls that they made in Holland what kind of souls he made in Kalon oh very good very good so now she brings here to meet Josh this is referring to the people that he had an influence on them and believing in Hashem right like I mentioned before that's also in meat regime it's not in the Torah not written in the Torah but it's in the meeting the Abram was the master of Karnas master of hospitality we'll see later on and next week's pasa right is the story with the tent that he was waiting for guests right and there was no guest and he was desperate right that whole story so we'll leave it for next week that you see how desperate he was for guests for the Mitzvah of hospitality so Abram moves the master the Lord of hospitality so when people used to come to him to eat and have a good lunch I have a good breakfast so they came over and say then thank you very much so he said instead of thanking me we got a thank their Lord right and that's why he teach them right and taught them of believing right in God so it can nefesh a show a super soul and the souls that they made in con is referring to the people the follows right of the people that right he encouraged and had an influence that they should believe in God the Torah says he went very delicate he went to the land of Clan and it comes to the land of Kannada the Torah mentions over here that places the Abram is coming first when he comes in Kanaan is Israel right the one of the sons of knock was none right remember from last week right one of the sons of North was Kanaan the one that got cursed correct so last brings down that none was thinking it the Land of Israel was really given to the son Shem right the son Shem and none who was taking it over from the children of Shem and he was controlling Israel at that time okay so but yeah I've oh and verse 6 but elet's ad McCombs came he came to the to the land he went into a shame idle omen right tool alone memory the hack nanny as Bartlett's right there none the dissenters of Klan what control in Israel the Land of Israel at that time right there taking it away from the children from the descendants of Shem which was given to them in the beginning the yarra Shem a lava mishima pierced him and he says then but yo Melissa Rakata you descendants a tenant of its assault he says them don't worry now none you seek non-controlling the place but don't worry eventually your descendants will get back this land is going to go back right we come right the Jewish people are descendants of Shem so it's going to go back to the originally - whoever got it from knock in the very beginning right Shem is the one that got it from knock right the area of Israel and he says them don't worry you see Kanaan now in the land but don't rory right you'll get it back Abram his this great news he's hearing that they you'll have descendants he says your descent isn't he hears that they'll get back Israel so as a Thanksgiving to him he goes right away immediately and builds the altar - right but even chummy's back he built right - Shem that appeared him and just told him this great news okay I'll leave you with a question guys and maybe tomorrow we'll be able to answer it is it significant the places that are mentioned here in the Torah that Abram came first when he came into Israel he went through these places is it significant or just happened to be have a wonderful day [Music] [Applause]