When the world was new – really new – there were no historical narratives to give us perspective, no moral tales or traditions from previous generations. Instead, every story told and each lesson learned was fresh and original.
Today, we only get glimpses into the newness that existed during the time when creation was fresh. But every now and then, an event or a person will give us an insight that sends us traveling back into the source of it all.
-----This past week, talk show host Oprah Winfrey launched a unique and inspiring charity campaign. She handed out debit cards with $1,000 on them to three hundred of her audience members. The mission? For each of them to use the money for charitable causes, whether to organizations or people in need. Oprah told an excited audience, “I can honestly say that every gift I've ever given has brought at least as much happiness to me as it has to the person I've given it to. That's the feeling I want to pass on to you.”
Oprah’s new charity campaign is a true act of kindness, one that will no doubt spin off into many positive actions, increasing the light in this world.
Oprah’s passing it on. But who inspired her? Where does this need to give come from? When was kindness invented?
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When we think of things in historical terms, we know that the world we live in today was guided and influenced by people and events over an expanse of time. They created new opportunities, new mindsets, and ultimately, the world we live in right now.
Similarly, Torah teaches us that character and emotions also have their origins, their own unique stories that reach into the present.
This week’s Torah portion introduces us to the first of our three patriarchs, Avraham. For many people, Avraham is a favorite biblical figure. He was the man who found G-d, smashed the idols of his father and bravely reached out to the people of his generation to teach them the concept of monotheism.
The commentaries tell us that Avraham was an “Ish Chesed,” literally a man of kindness. He was a quiet campaigner of sorts, pioneering kindness in all his actions. And believe it or not, kindness exists in the world today because of him.
Because Avraham was the first of his kind, it took extra guts, bravery – and lots of nerve. There were no commandments yet, but Avraham was created with the urge. Kindness had to be born.
And if he was meant to bring genuine kindness into the world, he was going to do it all the way, single-handedly. The kindness campaign was about to be launched, and veracity was key.
So even when G-d shows up on Avraham’s doorstep, and Avraham notices three roaming tourists in the distance, he asks G-d to wait while he serves them. Avraham’s humility and insistence on true kindness lead him to jeopardize his own spirituality for the sake of extending himself to passing strangers.
Through this radical generosity, Avraham made the world a vessel for further acts of kindness.
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Our sages teach us that all our merits can be traced back to our forefathers, that their efforts and the events in their lives bring those attributes to life in us and in the world. In this way, we find the origin of our reality in Torah. It’s all there. Turns out, the biblical figures we so admire are very much alive in this world, and we have much to thank them for.
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