Parshas Lech Lecha 5787 - The Courage to be First

At the beginning of this week’s parsha, Hashem promises Avraham Avinu:

“And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you; and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.” (Bereishis 12:2)

Why did Hashem promise Avraham these particular blessings?

Rashi, in his second explanation, based on the Gemara in Pesachim 117b, explains that the first three phrases correspond to the three Avos mentioned in the opening blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei. “I will make of you a great nation” refers to “the G-d of Avraham”; “I will bless you” refers to “the G-d of Yitzchak”; and “I will make your name great” refers to “the G-d of Yaakov.” The final phrase, “and you shall be a blessing,” means that the blessing will conclude specifically with Avraham: “Magen Avraham”—the Shield of Avraham.

But this raises an obvious question. If the blessing recognizes all three Avos, why does the Shemoneh Esrei conclude with “Magen Avraham” alone? Why not include Yitzchak and Yaakov as well?

Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, explains that Yitzchak and Yaakov attained spiritual greatness comparable to that of Avraham. Nevertheless, the blessing concludes with Avraham alone because he was the first person to recognize Hashem’s existence through his own intellectual and spiritual efforts. He did not simply inherit a tradition of faith; he discovered the truth for himself and took the courageous step of proclaiming it to the world.

I once heard Rabbi Paysach Krohn describe the power of being first through a remarkable example from the world of athletics.

For decades, runners tried unsuccessfully to run a mile in less than four minutes. Many people believed that this was a barrier beyond the limits of human ability. Then, on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes.

His record did not stand for long. Just 46 days later, John Landy ran the mile even faster. In the following years, more and more runners broke the four-minute barrier.

What had changed? Had the human body suddenly become capable of something it could not do before? Of course not. Rather, Bannister’s achievement changed what other runners believed was possible. Once someone had demonstrated that the barrier could be broken, others were inspired to attempt what had previously seemed unattainable.

That is the power of being first.

Avraham Avinu accomplished something far more profound. He recognized that Hashem is the one G-d who created and governs the universe, in a world that had become steeped in idolatry. He did not keep this discovery to himself. He courageously proclaimed the truth and sought to bring others to recognize Hashem as well.

By becoming the first to establish and publicize this faith, Avraham opened the way for others to follow. His descendants could build upon his accomplishments, but it was Avraham who first laid the foundation. That is why we conclude the first blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei with “Magen Avraham.”

We should appreciate the extraordinary courage it took for Avraham to stand apart from the prevailing beliefs of his time and proclaim a truth that would transform the world. His example reminds us that we must not be intimidated when Torah values differ from the attitudes of the society around us.

We may not be the first to discover a great truth, as Avraham was, but each of us has the opportunity to demonstrate what it means to live by that truth. By observing the mitzvos, deepening our commitment to Torah, and sharing its values with others, we can help bring its light into the world.

May we merit to follow in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu, and to see the day when all humanity recognizes Hashem and the truth of His Torah, and when the Jewish people and Eretz Yisrael are honored and respected as Hashem’s chosen people and Holy Land.