After a long time on the sidelines and when he is well into his mid seventies, he has been dramatically put in a position of leadership this week. Once almost killed in battle when fighting to save his blood brothers, and almost clobbered by the judiciary for questionable crimes, he has made a tremendous leap forward as he has now been placed in a prime position to shape the course of Israel's future.
The past hasn't been easy, and the future will almost certainly bring its own challenges. There are many naysayers and those who are disappointed with his arrival on the stage, and he will have to prove himself if he wants to be able to influence the wider society and build bridges with the world.
His relationship with the Egyptians hasn’t been that great, as they don't like his wife Sarah. Others are claiming that he is stealing their natural resources and all kinds of other claims. Yet there is hope as there are many others that are rallying around him and celebrating his vision for the future which they believe will be good for everyone.
Indeed this is the dramatic story of Abraham, who we read about in depth in this week's Torah Portion.
In a week, when the world is going through many dramatic and highly important elections, from Israel to Brazil and the United States, it is important for us to remember what indeed is our history, purpose and vision for the world.
Abraham's arrival on the scene sets the stage for the beginning of the journey of the Jewish people. G-d says about Abraham, ‘ For I have known him because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord to perform righteousness and justice (Genesis:18:19)’.
Besides doing things right even when it wasn’t popular and besides being loyal to G-d, morality, the welfare of others in a truly beautiful way, and so much more, it was also Abraham’s dedication to transmitting these very same values to his family and to others, that made him be appreciated by G-d.
So in a world where so much is at stake and so much remains to be decided as we exercise our democratic responsibility to vote and use our voice, we are reminded by Abraham, that our ultimate goal is to live a life of righteousness and justice, and to live this and teach this to the next generation. In doing so, G-d tells Abraham, you will then be a source of blessings to others and to the nations of the world.
Shabbat Shalom
Yisroel