Shabbat Parashat Lech Lecha - 5782

Shabbat Parashat Lech Lecha - 5782

Rabbi Hal Miller And Avram said, "My Lord, Hashem Elohim, what can You give me being that I go childless, and the steward of my house is the Damascene Eliezer?" [Bereishit [15:2] In the verse prior to ours, God promises Avram that his "reward is very great." Now Avram appears to challenge God's promise. Further, God has already told him that his offspring would be countless as the dust of the earth, so it appears Avraham did not accept the prophecy. We know Avraham was not the kind to do that, so what is the Torah telling us? Gur Aryeh writes that Avram is saying, whatever the reward may be, it has no value if I have no offspring. This seems to be based on Rashi's comment, "And what advantage is there in all that You will give me?" which implies that Avraham was looking for physical wealth. Others say that these verses apply to this world versus the world to come instead of to physical wealth versus spiritual wealth, but the two views are related. Bereishit Rabbah looks at the word achar, meaning after, and notes that when the word is used as "achar" it means immediately after, and that when used as "acharei", it means some time in the future. Thus God's promise is in return for Avram's defeat of the kings. Therefore the promise is for physical wealth in this world. Onkelos says this is a prophecy. Avraham worried that he lost his portion in the world to come because he had killed those kings, but God is here telling him "acharei" (plural), that Avraham will receive both wealth in this world and his portion in the world to come. Ramban says it clearly refers to physical wealth in this world. Everyone knows that one who serves God will earn a reward in the world to come, so why would God be telling that to Avraham? Since Avraham knew this, he must have concluded that this new promise only applied to this world. Malbim concurs and expands on Ramban. "The reward of Olam Haba is actually not a reward or payment in the conventional sense, but rather a direct outcome of the good action, an aspect of the mitzvah itself." Thus when Avraham heard God promise him reward, he knew that it had to apply to this world. God had told Avraham that He would give the land to him and his descendants forever. Avraham, now an old man, was saying, in nature it is too late for me to have descendants, so I am curious to see how You plan to implement this promise. He knew that the answer would not be through Eliezer, but through some miraculous means.