Vayera
Gen.18:1-22:24
Cheshvan 5767 (Nov. 2006)

Abraham, Master of Prayer

by

Miriam Ben-Yaacov

When the three men appeared, he hurried to refresh them, first asking to wash their feet.  The Midrash says that the Arabs were known to worship even the dust on their feet.  While Abraham is willing to over extend himself for his fellow man, he is not willing to have idolatry in his home.   We see true balance in this behavior between love of Gd and love of fellow man.  In both respects, Abraham was uncompromisingly committed.

When Hashem told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, he pled the case of the city all the way from the possible fifty righteous down to ten.  Later when Abimelech took Sarah, Hashem told him to return her and that Abraham would pray for him to be healed of the plague that had come on his house as a result of his sin.  Abraham’s voice was heard in the Heavenly Court.  The Hebrew word used for pray is “hitpalal”—the root of the word is “palal,” which means “judge,” and the tense of the verb indicates doing the action “to oneself.”  Therefore, this form of prayer is a judgment, first of oneself, but also of the formal daily prayers of the siddur.  This is the form used by Hashem to Abimelech, indicating Abraham’s ability to participate in the Heavenly Court.  It is seeing oneself, others, situations, and seeking the ultimate judgment of Heaven.  Hashem made His will known to Abraham concerning Sodom and Gomorrah and then to Abimelech concerning himself, but He wanted to hear Abraham’s voice joining His own. 

Only because Abraham’s tefillot (prayers) were so effective, was he able to pass the final, and most difficult, test of his life—the binding of Isaac.  It was the prayers of his life, taking him from promise to promise, that deepened his relationship with Hashem to the point that he could discern His voice and act faithfully upon it.  Even without knowing how the situation would be resolved, he was able to walk up the mountain and bind his only son on the altar.  This was only due to the faith built through this communing with Hashem.

We live in a world full of uncertainty.  Many times, we feel we have to compromise values taught by the Torah in order to maintain peace.  The “politically correct” stance seems the only avenue.  However, the example of Abraham rings true through the ages.  He extended hospitality to idolators; he pitied the sinners; he prayed for one who offended him.  In each case, his prayers guided him and molded him into the Master of Prayer—our first Patriarch.

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