Parshas Lech Lecha: The Great Contribution of Avraham Avinu

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Rabbi Daniel Glatstein’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

Not even one. Noach had no effect. And yet we come to Avraham Avinu with nefesh asher asu beKharan. And Rashi, of course, says she nisam tachas kanfei haShchinah. Avraham megayer es haanashim. Sarah megayeres es hanashim. Avraham was successful in producing talmidim. Influencing people to the extent that the Rambam writes in Hilchos Avodah Zarah perek aleph, halachah gimel, she niskaftzu eilav alafim veribavos. Avraham had tens of thousands of talmidim, the envy of any rosh yeshivah. The question is, how do we account for the dramatic difference between the results of the efforts of Noach and the results of the efforts of Avraham? There's a beautiful theme that is found in the sefer, in a sefer that is not so well known. The name of the sefer is Limduchei HaTekufah. Written by Harav Moshe Avigdor Amiel, zichrono tzaddik livrachah, who lived from 1883 to 1946. Rav Amiel was a talmid of Rav Chaim Brisker. He was a talmid of Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski. He received smicha at the age of 18. He was a rav in Antwerp, in one of the most prestigious positions in the world. Later on he became the Rav Harashi of Tel Aviv, and he was the most eminent and a very powerful and impressive author. Says Rav Avinu, and this idea is also found in the safer Ohel Moshe of Rav in Flatbush, Rav Moshe Schain. He says, prior to Avraham Avinu's arrival on the scene, you look in parshas Bereishis, you look in parshas Noach, you will see humanity is described as basar. Yeah? Ki hishkis kol basar as darkei. Keitz kol basar va'yigva kol basar. Va'yomer Hashem, lo yadon ruhi ba'adam le'olam. Lo olam beshagam hu basar.

Jump to a moment

1. 0:31Not even one. Noach had no effect. And yet we come to Avraham Avinu with nefesh…
2. 1:01Avraham had tens of thousands of talmidim, the envy of any rosh yeshivah. The question is,…
3. 1:32from 1883 to 1946. Rav Amiel was a talmid of Rav Chaim Brisker. He was a…
4. 2:03Flatbush, Rav Moshe Schain. He says, prior to Avraham Avinu's arrival on the scene, you look…
5. 2:33Prior to the arrival of Avraham Avinu, people regarded themselves as basar. As just a higher…
6. 3:05And what does Avraham Avinu tell them? Tells them one word. The yesh hanefesh asher asu…
7. 3:35Ten li hanefesh veha'rechush kach lach. In a world of nefesh, life has value, actions are…
8. 4:05physical relationship. Comes Abraham Avinu and he says to Sarah, "Imri na achosi at." "Lema'an yitav…
9. 4:36Identifying for all times that marriage in hashkafa of the Torah is more appropriately defined as…
10. 5:06the nefesh, the tzelem Elokim, the godliness that Hashem imbued us with. And Abraham was able…

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