Look at 12:1-3, 12:7, 13:14-16, 15:1-6, 15:13-15, 17

General Guiding questions:

1. What promises does God make to Abraham?
2. What do you think the significance is of these specific promises?
3. Are the promises conditional or unconditional?
4. What is the context of the various promises? Does this context drive the content of the promise? Furthermore, do Abraham’s actions warrant the prize God offers?
5. Is there a pattern or progression in the promises made over the course of this parasha?
6. Can you find nuanced differences between any of the seemingly redundant promises?
7. Do you think Abraham is questioning God’s word in 15:3 and 15:8? If no, what is Abraham doing? If yes, how does God respond to Abraham’s questions? Do you think there is any connection between these lines and 15:13 where God tell Abraham about the people of Israel’s future enslavement?
8. In what ways does chapter 17 fulfil earlier promises? In what ways does it change their terms?

Rambam, Mishneh Torah, “Laws of Idol worship”

Things continued in this manner until Abraham the Patriarch, supporter of the world, was born. Once Abraham was weaned, he, as a child, 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? Surely it would be impossible for it to rotate on its own! Abraham did not have a mentor, but was immersed amongst the stupid idolaters of Ur Casdim, where everyone, including his mother and father, served idols, as did he. In his heart, however, he continued to contemplate, until he realised 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. He also knew that the whole world was erring, and knew that what caused the mistake was that they [had] worshipped the stars and figures for so long that the truth had vanished. Abraham was forty years old when he recognised his Creator. Once he achieved this, he began to reason with the inhabitants of Ur Casdim and to argue with them, saying that by serving idols they were not following the way of truth. He broke their images, and began to proclaim that it is not fitting to serve anyone other than God, and to Him it is fitting to bow down and to offer drink sacrifices and sacrifices to, so that all creation will recognise Him. Abraham also proclaimed that it was fitting to break and destroy all the figures, so that nobody will err on account of them, like those who imagined that there is no God except for their idols did. Since people were listening to him, the king, Nimrod, sought to kill him, but a miracle was performed for Abraham, and he went to Haran, where he got up and proclaimed to the whole world that there is just one God in the world, whom it is fitting to worship. He went and gathered people together from cities and kingdoms, until he reached the land of Canaan, where he continued his proclamations, as it is written, "...and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God".

Compiled by Jackie Gerber

back to educational resources