In a Jewish school in Ukraine, there was a history teacher who was an ardent Communist. Her gods were Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin. She had no soft spot for Judaism, but because she was a terrific teacher and knew her stuff, they hired her in the Chabad school, on condition that she sticks to her subject and stays off the topic of religion.
One day she quizzed her students on the period from the end of the 18th century to the end of the 19th century. The teacher asked: Who knows what was the most important historical event of the year 1799?
One child raised his hand and said that was the year Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the founder of Chabad, was released from Czarist prison.
The teacher yelled: What?! Who’s this R’ Shneur Zalman? And did he really live? And if he was arrested, they shouldn’t have freed him, and if they freed him, who cares? Today there is a new world order which will save the world. Judaism is obsolete. What happened in 1799? That’s the year Alexander Pushkin was born! He was one of the outstanding Russian poets and thinkers. Next question. The teacher asked: What happened in the year 1800, 1801, and so on, until she got to the year 1812. Who knows what happened in 1812?
The same boy raised his hand and said: “That year, Pushkin became bar mitzvah!”
In this week's Torah portion Lech Lecha, Abraham has just triumphed in a massive conflict, in which he defeated four powerful kings, liberated the hostages, including his nephew Lot. Following the extraordinary victory, the Torah tells us:
And Abram said, "O God, what will You give me, since I am going childless, and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?"
It is a strange exchange. Three times already, G-d promised Abraham he would have a child. Why does Abraham still doubt G-d? And why is Abraham suddenly “eulogizing” Eliezer, telling G-d where he comes from. Why is that relevant to this please for a child?
The Rebbe addressed some of the above questions and then went on to offer a moving and powerful explanation, that sheds new light on the entire story, and captures one of the grand themes in Abraham’s legacy.
Abraham was not only complaining that he is childless; he was also acknowledging the blessing of having a person like Eliezer as his chief steward. As an introduction to his plea to G-d for a child, Abraham was expressing appreciation for the man who ran his affairs and served as his assistant.
There are various forms of influencing the world—and in a very general way, they can be divided into three categories. Some individuals become great business tycoons. Others are worriers, generals, great military or political leaders, who conquer and lead countries. While others are great ideologues; their ambition is to change the landscape of the human mind and heart, in the scientific, artistic, or moral sense.
Few have combined all three qualities in one person. We have Noble Laureates for economics, for peace, and for literature. Rockefeller was no Einstein, and Einstein was no Churchill. Abraham embodies excellence in all three, and the Torah makes sure to delineate all three aspects of his life. He was a successful financial tycoon, wealthy and influential, and became a paradigm of philanthropy and generosity. He was also a warrior, a commander-in-chief, as the Torah articulates in the preceding story of the battle he waged. But, above all, he was a true ideologue, who successfully changed the moral landscape of humanity for eternity, and even invented the discipline of science, pointing out that the entire cosmos was governed by a set of integrated and unified laws.
But nobody can do this work alone. The greatest tycoon needs a skilled CEO and CFO to run the business. And the most skilled commander-in-chief needs generals. And the most extraordinary mind needs disciples to further communicate the message. Abraham was blessed with a man, a towering figure, Eliezer, who embodied these three roles.
This is what Abraham was expressing here to G-d: First, Eliezer was the steward who oversaw Abraham’s entire household.
Furthermore, he was from Damascus. This is a hint to one more quality of Eliezer. The only previous time the Torah mentions Damascus is a few verses earlier, describing the war Abraham fought against the four kings to liberate his nephew Lot: Why does Abraham suddenly mention here, in his conversation with G-d about a child, that Eliezer came from Damascus? Abraham is intimating precisely here that Eliezer, his chief servant, was the man who pursued the enemy till Damascus and scored a victory, for he was a brilliant warrior, a skilled military general, and a fearless fighter.
But there is more to the word Damascus.
Eliezer, besides his other qualities, was a brilliant student and an articulate teacher. He served as the chief disciple of Abraham, the man who knew how to present the teachings of Abraham to the masses.
So as G-d promises Abraham great rewards, Abraham responds by acknowledging the fact that he was given a person in his life, a spiritual heir, who possesses the unique and extraordinary skill, passion, strength, integrity, and idealism to continue the legacy of Abraham, on all fronts. Eliezer would continue the financial legacy, he will stand ready to fight wars to defend the innocent and helpless from the hands of tyrants; and he will ensure the continuity of the ideas and values which his master Abraham introduced into human consciousness, the vision of a unified world under one Creator, and the moral responsibility of mankind to its Creator and each other.
And yet, you can create infrastructures that will continue to prove successful even after your passing, yet, Abraham says, that is only half of the success.
For a person to truly feel a contentment from all his or her life’s work it is when he or she gets to see a child who continues to walk in that same path, dedicated to similar ideals and values.
All the rewards in the world still leave me with a void in my heart. I yearn for a child who will perpetuate the truths and ideals I fought for and invested blood, sweat, and tears.
In Judaism, beginning with Abraham, the greatest emphasis has been placed on education: to reach the hearts and minds of our own children, that they may loyally continue those values Jews have fought for and sacrificed for, over three millennia. “I do not want to only be a world figure,” cries Abraham. “I want to have a child to give it all over to.” Only then, it will really endure forever.
Let’s face it, it is not easy. Theodor Herzl transformed the landscape of modern Jewish history but could not inspire his own children to embrace his legacy. Karl Marx did not have the courage to acknowledge his own son as his.
Judaism is intolerant of a universal soul who has not the time and patience to cultivate loving and genuine relationships within his or her own family.
The Torah commands us to read the Shema twice a day—containing the fundamental declaration of the Jewish faith, and love to G-d.
And yet, in the first and second sections of the Shema, the Torah states: “Teach it to your children.” I do not care that you believe G-d is one and you love Him with all your heart and soul if you do not manage to impart these values and feelings to your children. Our entire day is sandwiched between the morning and evening recitation of Shema since this is the Jewish mission statement and our fundamental motto. But it is only valuable and real if I dedicate my time and energy to implant this in the heart of my children.
In one of the great speeches of the twentieth century, a distinguished American justice, Judge Learned Hand, said:
“I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it.
“Therefore we must place as our highest priority educating our children in our ideals so that what we begin they will continue until the world changes because we have changed.”
Abraham understood this: If you plan for a year, plant rice. If you plan for a decade, plant a tree. If you plan for posterity, educate your child.
Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Al Capone was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze to murder.
Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason: Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.
To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocities that went on around him.
Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son whom he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had a good education and all his needs taken care of. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son: he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.
One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify the wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al Capone, clean up his own tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. He testified.
Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. On Nov. 8, 1939, a week before Al Capone was released from Alcatraz, O'Hare was shot to death while driving.
But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay.
The story is not over.
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.
He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.
He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.
His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.
As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.
The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.
Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.
Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.
Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.
Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.
This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action, Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Medal of Honor.
But a year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.
So what do these two stories have to do with each other?
Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.
In the sacrifice of his father, he discovered integrity, honor, duty, and country. And that became his calling too.
Thank G-d, today most of us need not make such sacrifices. But we must make other sacrifices: Put away my phone when I come home in the evening and spend time with my children; bring them to shul on Shabbat, and make a kosher home, a Jewish home, living the values of Torah; send them to Jewish Torah schools; be a living example of how a Jew lives on a daily basis. I need to become a paradigm of love, caring, and dedication, a true mentor and parent.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky
Tom Peacock wrote...