Walk Through the Parsha by Rabbi David Walk

Smart
Lech Licha 5768
October18, 2007
The debate over the relative merits of Avraham versus Noach rages every year around this time because we reread the stories of their exploits these weeks. The question can be posed in two ways. Either what did Noach lack or what extra, added ingredient did Avraham have? This question is important to all of the major monotheisms, because we all refer to ourselves as the children of Avraham not of Noach. Personally I tend to opt for the latter approach. We don’t have to put Noach down to praise Avraham. I mean, I believe it’s more about the choosing of Avraham rather than the rejection of Noach. However, many people feel some security in assuming that my preferred position is predicated on the unworthiness of someone else. That’s so bogus. That’s expressing lack of self-esteem. It’s sad. Everyone has positive points, and we must be comfortable with our worth, without comparison to any others. So, let’s begin the search again for that main character trait which distinguished Avraham from all other spiritual leaders. A trait so outstanding that it stills demands our attention and our emulation.

Anyone who has read this far, and noticed the title of this week’s effort, must have a pretty good idea of what I’m going to say next, but get ready for a surprise in two paragraphs. Every week Rabbeinu Bechaye ben Asher (d. 1340) begins his commentary on the parsha with an introduction based upon a verse from Mishle (King Solomon’s book of Proverbs). This verse generally identifies the central idea in the parsha. This week Rabbeinu Bechaye chose, “He who goes with the wise will become wise, but he who befriends the fools will be broken (Proverbs 13:20).” The Solomonic advice is hang out with the brainiacs and it will rub off on you. This is why his father, King David begins his book with the advice, “Happy is the man who has not followed the direction of the wicked (Psalms 1:1).” Rabbeinu Bechaye explains that if you hang with the wise there is advantage without damage, while hobnobbing with the foolish brings harm without profit.

At this point Rabbeinu Bechaye goes on to describe what it means to be foolish. Fools are those who choose negative character traits and physical desires over matters of the intellect. These are the people who, together with scoffers and the wicked, despise rebuke (tochacho). So, the definition of wisdom is to encourage helpful criticism. King Solomon said it all, “Reprove not a scorner for he will hate you; reprove a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man, and he will become yet wiser…(Proverbs. 9:8 & 9).” Therefore our definition of wisdom is the acceptance of constructive criticism. Our IQ is the function of our listening to reprimand.

Okay, so the normal understanding of Avraham’s great intelligence was his independent discovery of God. He figured out that the idol in the town square didn’t create heaven and earth. Maimonides (1135-1204) expresses it in this way, “Once Abraham was weaned, he began contemplating and thinking day and night, and wondered how a sphere could follow a fixed path without being directed. If so, who directed it? Abraham did not have a mentor, but was immersed amongst the stupid idolaters of Ur Chasdim. In his heart, however, he continued to contemplate, until he realized the way of truth and understood the ways of righteousness from nature, and knew that there is a God who directs the spheres, created the world, and besides whom there is none other (Laws of Idolatry, 1:3).” However, that’s not the intelligence described by Rabbeinu Bechaye.

What was the great example of intelligence exhibited by our initial Patriarch? Rabbeinu Bechaye ends his long introductory comment by explaining that Avraham was instructed to depart (lech licha) from his ancestral home to seek his fortune in a new home. This was explained as keeping Avraham from continuing to dwell amongst the idolaters of Ur Chasdim, saving him from hanging out with the foolish. But where’s the smarts we were talking about before, namely accepting rebuke? Well, I believe we can figure that out from the juxtaposition of the Biblical stories. Just before the introduction of Avraham is the story of the Tower of Babel. According to the Midrashic reckoning, Avraham was alive for that architectural debacle.

Avraham understood the message of God's punishment to the generation of the Tower of Babel. What was the purpose of the Tower, which so upset God? They wanted this edifice to keep all humanity closely packed together in one place. They not only wanted unity, they wanted conformity ('The whole earth was one language and few words (Genesis 11:1)." This explicitly contravened God's original instructions to mankind, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it (Ibid. 1:28)." Now we can understand why the first instruction to Avraham was to depart from his ancestral land. We can also comprehend why the concept of exile came as no surprise to Avraham. He had to go to Egypt for food and later in this week's parsha the first covenant with Israel contains the prediction of being strangers in a strange land. We accepted the rebuke to not refuse to spread our horizons and expand our reach, even when it involves hardship.. Avraham grasped this idea of continued growth and progress. He was the only one ready to recognize this concept, because he was smart.

I think it's important to notice that the definition of smart is different to various authorities. That's because there are different varieties of intelligence; emotional, spiritual, cognitive. Each observer appreciates a different type of smart, because we each have our own intellectual tendencies. We all must try to emulate Avraham according to our own talents.