And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.” (Bereishis 12:1)
The Ohr HaChaim points out that Hashem introduced himself to Avraham Aveinu differently than to any other prophet including Moshe Rabbeinu. Before speaking to the other prophets, Hashem manifested His Shechina to them in some way. Only after He made Himself known to the prophet would He then speak to him. Otherwise the shock would be too great. For example, Hashem first showed the burning bush to Moshe Rabbeinu before speaking to him. After Moshe realized he was witnessing a miracle, Hashem spoke to him. However, in the case of Avraham Avinu, Hashemspoke to him before He "showed" Himself. Why was Avraham treated differently? The Ohr HaChaim gives two answers:
Avraham Avinu lived in a generation that was totally devoid of belief in God. Nevertheless, Avraham Avinu recognized Hashem at the age of five years old. He saw the trees, the oceans, the stars, etc. all as a manifestation of the Almighty's presence. To Avraham Avinu it was obvious that Hashem created the world, and He needed no other revelation.
For ten generations after the flood, Hashem's Shechina remained hidden. In order to perceive the Divine Shechina, Avraham Avinu had to prove that he was worthy. By fulfilling Hashem's commandment to leave his birthplace, Avraham firmly integrated emunah into his heart and merited to see the Shechina. From this point on, every prophet's emunah was connected to this elevated emunah of Avraham Avinu and due to this, the subsequent prophets merited to see a revelation of Hashem before He spoke to them.
Each of us has a unique mission in this world to fulfill and therefore each of us has a special path in the world. When Avraham Avinu was told to “go forth,” he left his comfort zone and held firmly on to his emunah. He trekked ahead against all odds. It began with his first step and we are continuing that journey. תשפ"ד was a very difficult year for Am Yisrael, but whoever counts us down and out is greatly mistaken. We march forward with emunah! Am Yisael chai!
Over the years people have asked me if I would ever draw cartoons depicting some of the cases found in Yora Daya. Well, the answer is yes! I recently published a sefer called The Great Game of Kashrut. Click on the link to find out more: The Great Game of Kashrut
Below is an example case from the book:
To order a copy of The Great Game of Kashrut follow this link: The Great Game of Kashrut
If you would like to dedicate a Davar Torah in honor of a special occasion or in memory of a beloved family member please contact Yisroel Simon at yisroel@judaism613.com.
Good Shabbos,R’ Channenjudaism613.org