Two Minute Torah Podcast

Lekh L'kha 5769 by Harry J. Silverman

Shalom, my name is Harry Silverman, executive director of the Southeast Region United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Welcome to KOACH'S Two-Minute Torah; a project of the College Department of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

This week's parsha, lekh l'kha, describes the first encounter of our forefather, Avraham, with God.

In the Parsha, we read: Vayotse oto hachutsah vayomer habet-na hashamayma usfor hakochavim im-tuchal lispor otam vayomer lo koh yihyeh zar'echa.

God brought him outside, and said: 'Look to the heavens and count the stars . . . That's how your children will be."

We would assume from the verse that this encounter took place at night. However, it is only later in the narrative where we read that the sun had set. Therefore, this meeting must have taken place during the daytime and the question is how could Avraham see and count the stars while the sun was still shining?

The answer is that God did not really expect Avraham to count the stars to see how numerous his offspring would be. God did not intend to promise Avraham that his children would be great in number. In fact, we Jews are a very small part of the world's population. Rather, God's promise was that although the Jewish people would not be mighty in numbers as compared to the other nations, they would be endowed with spiritual qualities so great that they would act as teachers and guides for all the rest of humanity. All the nations would look to the people of Israel for without the light spread by Israel, the world would sink into utter darkness.

The Lord said to Avraham, "Look towards heaven, while it is still day and the sun is shining, and count the stars if you are able to count them." Of course he couldn't count them. The stars are in the sky, but it is daytime, and the one great light of the sun eclipses the light of the millions and millions of stars in the heavens.

Avraham learned from this that virtues are more important than numbers. One great shining sun can be stronger than millions of stars. That's what God meant when God said; "That's how your children will be." Not like the stars, but like the sun. The descendants of Avraham will be few and they will be vastly outnumbered by the other peoples of the world. But the spirit of Judaism, the light of the Torah, will stand invincible, outlasting all the many nations and their mighty armies.