After Lot departed from Avraham, Hashem visited him and promised the Land as well as descendants so numerous they could not be counted. Avraham’s response to this promise is not recorded. However, as G-d had told him to get up and cross the land “to its length and width,” he moved on to the plains of Mamre, where he built an altar. This may have been a way for him to minister to the inhabitants and introduce them to the worship of G-d. Alternatively, it may have more simply been an altar where he could offer sacrifices out of his gratitude for G-d’s promise to him.
Some time later, after he fights the war with the four kings and saves Lot, Hashem makes this same promise to Avraham once again:
“Do not be afraid, Avram; I am your shield. Your reward is immense…. Look heavenward and count the stars, if you can count them. Your descendants will be like that…. I am Hashem that took you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land to inherit it.”
Avraham then seems suddenly skeptical. In response to G-d’s promises, he seems to have only questions and doubts. “L-rd G-d, what can you give me, as I go childless?… You have not given me children, and see, the one who dwells in my house (Eliezer) will inherit me!”
Similarly, when Hashem promises Avraham the gift of the Land, the latter gets down to business: “L-rd G-d, how will I know that I will inherit it?”
This is all odd enough in itself. What happened to the faithful Avraham of earlier years? And why did he believe these promises the first time but question them the second time? Is a meeting with G-d, a prophecy and experience of His voice and revelation, less compelling now?
Further complicating things, Avraham’s cynicism is denied by the text. Though Avraham has many questions, the narrative tells us explicitly that this does not demonstrate a lack of faith: “And he trusted in G-d and accorded it to Him as an act of righteousness.” Surely this verse would have made more sense in the context of Hashem’s earlier promise and Avraham’s faith. But here he seems to display anything but trust in G-d!
Ramban resolves these issues deftly:
“The righteous do not trust in themselves when they sin accidentally… Understand, (Avraham) understood that he was elderly and his (original prophecy promising children and the land) had not been fulfilled and he thought that his sins prevented the good. And perhaps he was concerned he would be punished for people he had killed.”
In other words, Avraham had complete trust in G-d. But he did not have complete trust in himself. G-d, after all, does not change, fail, or sin. But people do. Perhaps his sins – known and unknown – had disqualified him from G-d’s earlier promises of children and the Land of Canaan. And so, though the verse records his faith in Hashem, he has many questions. How will he know that he will merit the fulfilment of Hashem’s blessings? How can he know his children will never lose the right to them?
Needless to say, this is a pivotal moment in our history as a people, as it is here that G-d promises to Avraham that his children will never lose their chosen status and that, no matter, they will inherit Avraham and the Land of Israel.
As a people, we may rely on this and it should comfort us. However, Avraham’s questions – and the Ramban’s insight – remain pressing for us as individuals, families, and communities. How will we know that we will be the ones to receive Hashem’s promises to Avraham? Perhaps, indeed, our own sins will prevent us from taking part in the Jewish future, perhaps our failings will outnumber our successes, perhaps our weaknesses will become stronger than our strengths. Who is to say? How shall we know?
We are, then, in a position very much like the one Avraham was in when Hashem made promises to Him earlier on in his life. Avraham was chosen, as we are. He was promised great rewards, as we have been. And he was not sure he would be worthy of receiving them, just as we should not be sure.
When the rest of the living hostages returned to our people, we received an incredible gift. It was a gift born of sacrifice, grit, and righteousness from many parties, including the governments here and in Israel, but most especially a gift from the soldiers who risked and gave their lives to defend our people. And it was a gift from Hashem. As Avraham did, we should trust in Him and delight in it as an act of righteousness and love.
Yet, this is not the end of the story, the end of the line, the end of time, or even the end of the war or antisemitic protests and policies around the world. We have much to do. If Hashem has given us a gift, if we have resolved to be more righteous, and if we have properly rejoiced as a people, then we must still be aware that we can fail. Much is still on the line both in the short and the long term and we cannot take our foot off of the gas for a moment. We must still engage in repentance, Torah study, and prayer, just as we must still engage in advocacy, charity, and activism on behalf of our people.
Avraham knew that Hashem could always be relied on. But he wasn’t sure that he would never sin and he needed a promise about his future children. And now we must live up to G-d’s guarantees. The people of Israel will always live on and will enjoy a future not only glorious in the long term, but even in the short, G-d willing. And it is our job to commit to that, to make sure we are numbered among the successes, to build a future for our people that will include our own children and descendants.
This will require all of our efforts as individuals and as communities. We will need to continue to support Israel, to advocate for Jewish security and circumstances, and also to build our community culturally, socially, spiritually, and religiously. Then we will reap what has been sown for Avraham.