Rosh Hashanah of 1993 would usher in a year of the observance of Shemitah, the mitzvah to leave the land of Israel fallow for the entire year. Shortly before Rosh Hashana, a little girl told her father how she learned in school that next year is going to be Shemitah when the land may not be worked.” You will not be allowed to work your vineyard,” she told him. “And you must declare all the grapes hefker (ownerless).”
“What is the matter with you?” replied the father. ”Our lives depend on my vineyard! If I don’t sell the grapes you won’t have what to eat. If I don’t work the vineyard it will never be the same.”
The little girl became very sad and said nothing. Then she had a thought. “Abba, have you ever heard of Avrohom Avinu (our forefather Abraham)?”
“Yes.”
“Abba, do you know that Avrohom had a precious son Yitzchak and that Hashem told Avrohom to offer Yitzchak as a sacrifice (as depicted at the end of this week’s parsha)? And Abba, do you know that Avrohom without any hesitation was ready to fulfill Hashem’s will?”
“I remember studying that as a child,” he said.
“Abba,” the little girl said.” If Avrohom was ready to give up his son for Hashem’s sake, can’t we give up our vineyard for one year?”
Visibly moved by her sincere words he said, “If that’s the way you put it, my dear child, I will do as you say.”
(From Shabbos Stories by Rabbi Shimon Finkelman)
There is a Yiddish saying that one does not ask questions on stories. But I’m going to anyway.
The little girl’s argument is touching. But is it correct? Her father could have made the following argument. “If I was Avrohom who was ready to offer his son as a sacrifice, then you can say that I should be ready to give up my vineyard for a year. But I’m not Avrohom, who says that I can give up my vineyard even for just a year?”
But the little girl was absolutely correct. Because if Avrohom could do it then we can too. The basis for this comes from Pirkei Avot 5:3.
עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִתְנַסָּה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם וְעָמַד בְּכֻלָּם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה חִבָּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם
With ten trials was Avraham, our father (may he rest in peace), tried, and he withstood them all; to make known how great was the love of Abraham, our father (peace be upon him).
The commentary of Ruach Chaim explains why Avrohom is called here “our father” (while in a previous place in Pirkei Avot he is referred to as just Avrohom). The Mishna means to stress that Avrohom’s fatherhood to the Jewish people was manifest through these ten trials. With each trial Avrohom attained another level of spiritual strength which he then passed on to his descendants. Just as children inherit their parents’ genes, Avrohom’s children, the Jewish people, inherited his spiritual genes.
This is why we find even the simplest Jews were ready to give up their lives to sanctify Hashem’s name. This comes from Avrohom’s readiness to give up his life when he was confronted to abandon his belief in Hashem or be cast into a burning furnace.
This is also why we find Jews ready to give up everything to settle in the land of Israel. This comes from Avrohom who left everything behind to fulfill Hashem’s words of:
לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ׃
Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. (Genesis 12:1)
We find in last week’s parsha after Avrohom left his homeland to come to the land of Israel that he was immediately forced to leave due to a famine. He accepted this without complaint although it could have bothered him why Hashem had taken him away from his father’s home and his birthplace to be forced to leave his new country so soon. With this he inculcated his descendants with the ability to accept whatever Heaven brings their way as for their good.
So when we study the life of Avrohom, as well as the lives of the rest of the Avot (Patriarchs) and Imahot (Matriarchs), we are not just learning lessons from their lives. We are discovering who we are.
Therefore, if Avrohom could do it, so can we.
The little girl was absolutely right!
Shabbat Shalom!
Yitzchak