Question: Can you give me a quick overview of the accomplishment of Avraham (Abraham)?

Answer: Avraham was the first Jew.

He was born in the Jewish Year 1948 (that’s 1,948 years after G-d created Adam & Eve, corresponding to the secular year 1813 BCE: almost 4000 years ago!).

Avraham’s life is described in the Torah in the book of Genesis, 11:26-25:18. That’s really not such long reading. Torah chapters are short, averaging only about 25 sentences per chapter. And it’s good reading!

Avraham was raised in a world of idol worshipers, which had forgotten the one true G-d who had created them. Avraham was an amazing truth seeker who tried out every form of idolatry until he realized that none of them really answered the big questions about the universe. Eventually, through observation and philosophical reasoning, Avraham realized that there must be one true G-d that is the source of everything in the universe. We see that everything in the universe is caused by something greater than it and everything in the universe works together. There must be one first cause from which everything came, Avraham reasoned. Further, G-d must want something from His creation, otherwise why would He have bothered to create such an intricate system? (This is an ultra-simplified version of Avraham’s spiritual journey).

But Avraham was not only the world’s greatest thinker; he was also the world’s greatest doer. Avraham cared about every person in the world and wanted to help each individual to live a better life. Thus Avraham and his wife, Sarah, began to teach the world about G-d and the moral system of kindness and responsibility He demands every person to follow.

Although Avraham’s life was threatened constantly by the masses that clung to idolatry, because of Avraham’s bravery and perseverance, the whole world learned about this most revolutionary concept: G-d. Even though most people did not change their lifestyles, Avraham and Sarah succeeded planting and spreading the knowledge of G-d throughout the world. It is only because of Avraham that the world today knows about G-d.

G-d first spoke directly to Avraham when Avraham was already 75 years old, even though he had already “discovered” G-d much earlier. G-d first told Avraham to leave his homeland (in what is today Iraq) and travel to the Land of Israel, which G-d would give to the Jewish People as their homeland. There, G-d made an everlasting covenant with Avraham, stating that Avraham’s descendants, who would follow in his ways, would have a special relationship with G-d, being required to live up to a higher standard (related in the Torah) so that they would be a light to all the other nations how to serve G-d and how to be giving to other people.

Avraham experienced many trials in his life (including ten major ones), but also experienced many miracles. One miracle was when G-d granted Avraham and Sarah a son, Isaac, when they were 100 and 90 years old respectively. The final trial was when Avraham was commanded to sacrifice that very special son, Isaac, 37 years later. At the last moment, G-d told Avraham to put down his knife, sparing Isaac. This had all been a test to demonstrate that Avraham was completely faithful to G-d, 100%, which Avraham passed with flying colors.

If you’d like to learn more about Avraham’s life and times, you can
check out these essays online:

Crash Course in Jewish History
by Rabbi Ken Spiro

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 3

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 4

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 5

If you have any more specific questions about Avraham, please feel free to write back.

Shlomo Shulman