ר"ע תיתד תונויצל ינויערה גוחה ,םולשו זוע
Parshat Lech-Lecha presents before us Avram, who is Avraham. Indeed, we know Avram from the end of the previous portion, in which it is told of his wandering with Terah to Haran and of the death of Terah. But there is a big change in the continuity of the story of the book of B'reshit, spreading from the creation to the death of Joseph, because of the famous calling of Avram in the beginning of Parshat Lech-Lecha. The beginning of the book deals with distant times: legendary people who lived a thousand years or were taken to the heavens because they walked with G-d; events "not from this world" like the flood or the act of the scattering of nations. Thus, chapters 1-11 of the book of B'reshit cover thousands of years in a relatively short story. In fact, the parshiot of B'reshit and Noah are not but a prehistoric story of the world, which reach an end with the call to Avraham. From then on, it speaks of 'historic' people, that their lifetime is shorter. We have stories of their lives as people of the community, their feelings, and what goes on in their lives.
Avraham constitutes a new stage in the existence of the world. Hazal felt this when they explained: "'These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created (b'hibaram)' -The Rabbis said change it to: with Avraham (b'avraham)." (Tanhuma Bubar B'reshit 16, compare to Lech-Lecha 41).
Let us pay attention to the connecting point between the prehistoric and the historic. The events of the ancient time conclude with the attempt of the people of Babel to build themselves "home" and with G-d's response to their action by stopping their attempt and scattering the nations. Hazal related to the connection between this parashah and the calling of Avraham: "Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: 'And all the nations of the world will be blessed because of you, and G-d went up to the generation of the Tower of Babel and scattered them into thirty families... and The Holy One, Blessed be He said I will raise them because of you." (Tanchuma Bubar Hayee Sarah 8). First G-d scattered the families and afterwards He announced to Avram that they will be blessed because of him.
And there is another connection between the two parshiot. The people of Babel said. "We shall make ourselves a name." Whereas, to Avraham it is said "I will make your name great." They request to make themselves a name by building a large house, in other words a sanctuary similar to the large sanctuaries that were then in the land of Babel and their remains were found in excavations. But G-d sets that a man shall not make a name for himself in that way, but by walking on the land and spreading G-d's name throughout it, as He designated for Avram.
A saying similar to this we find at another turning point in the history of Israel (and the world). It is the promise of G-d to David (Samuel II, Chapter 7). The two situations - of the promises to Avram and to David - are very similar in character. Firstly, we are talking about the two outstanding cases of an unconditional promise to one of the leaders of the nation. In addition, like Avram, David causes a change in the life of the nation: no longer is there a collection of tribes fighting for their lives and under a random and slack leadership. From now on, there will be united tribes in a large and strong kingdom, under the leadership of an agreed king in a central capital city. This historical point gave birth to many cornerstones in Jewish faith, and most important, the belief in the existence of the Messiah and in the building of Zion and Jerusalem.
Similarly to the blessing to Avram "And I will make your name great", also with David it is said "And I will make your name great." (Samuel II 7:9, and compare to "We shall make ourselves a name" as said by the people of the generation of Tower of Babel). This is the link that connects between the two promises. The promise to David was born through the request that David expresses to Nathan the prophet: "And it came to pass when the king dwelled in his house… the king said to Nathan the prophet: 'See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of G-d dwells within curtains." (Samuel II 7:1-2). David, who made Jerusalem his home, requests to build a house for G-d. This house, that was built later in the time of Solomon, is the Beit Hamikdash that we remember in our hearts until this day. But G-d's reaction to David's words is surprising with regards to the negative attitude toward building a house: "The Lord says to you that He will build a house for you. (Samuel II 7:11). In other words, you ask me to build you a house (in the sense of 'a sanctuary'), and I say to you that I will make you a house (in the sense of 'descendants, genealogy '). The key words house and name appear in the same place in the sentence in the two verses (G-d will build you a house, I will build make you a great name.).
Behold, this is totally parallel to what we find with Avraham! David requests to make himself famous by building a house of G-d. Behold, who is more fitting for the task than he, who brought the nation to rest and security? But G-d rejects the suggestion. He reminds David that it was more comfortable, in all the generations since the Exodus from Egypt, to be "walking with the tent and the tabernacle", and He wishes to continue dwelling within the curtain another generation. G-d does not desire to bring to an end the days of the scattered settlement, even though the historical circumstances are ready for it. He instructs David, as He instructed Avram and the people to Babel, that His real name will not be achieved through building Him a house (in other words, a sanctuary), but by making a large family and spreading the name of G-d throughout the world.
This idea appears as a characteristic sign in the historical turning points of the people of Israel. Also the return to Zion in our times is understood by many as a historic turning point. Gershom Shalom expressed this idea when he said that Zionism returned the people of Israel to history, after they were outside the course of history for two thousand years. Harav Kook Zatzal also said these words in another way: "We left world politics… until the period of happiness arrives, when it will be possible to govern a kingdom without evil and barbarism." (Orot page 14). Therefore, it is our obligation, the children of the people of Israel, living at a historical turning point, to select the way - should we 'make a name for ourselves'? How should we do this? How should we spread the name of G-d in the world?
Many solutions to these questions have been raised in public discussions in our days. When we come to choose between them, it is appropriate that we look into the sayings of G-d to Avraham and to David. The house is not the essence, but spreading the name of G-d in the world is the essence.
Yonathan Ben-Dov studies in the faculty of Bible in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Translated by Yona Landau
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