Abraham's Journey: A Divine Plan Across the Holy Land

Hashem instructs Abraham: "Arise, walk through the land in its length and breadth, for to you I will give it!"

Why did Abraham, at the age of one hundred, need to wander through the land? Wasn't he tired of roaming?

The answer to this question divides into two parts: a natural reason and a spiritual reason. For everything in the world, there is a natural reason, and parallel to it, a spiritual reason. Often, we don't understand the reason for events, but Abraham, being significant enough, invites us to explore both the spiritual and natural reasons as outlined in Torah and by the sages.

Upon arriving in the land, Abraham travels "as far as the site of Shechem," and immediately when Hashem promises him the land, he pitches his tent between Bethel and Ai, "Bethel to the west and Ai to the east." Following a famine, he descends to Egypt and later returns: "He proceeded on his journey from the south toward Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai." Everywhere he goes, Abraham calls out in Hashem's name.

This path mirrors the Israelites' conquest of the land. The spies, initially "ascend through the south," and the Israelites enter from the east of Bethel. The second city they conquered was Ai, as described in the Book of Joshua with the same words: "They stood between Bethel and Ai, east of Ai," and from there continued to Shechem. In Shechem's sanctuary, Joshua made a covenant with the Israelites, as Shechem belonged to them originally. They took it from Shechem, son of Hamor, and Jacob gave it to Joseph. Joseph, as a ruler of Egypt, held dominion there.

The sages said: "Had Abraham not offered prayers between Bethel and Ai in anticipation of trouble, not a trace would remain of Israel's enemies." For the Israelites to have the merit to conquer and vanquish the Canaanites, Abraham needed to travel these routes and call out in Hashem's name. Thanks to Abraham's covenant, his descendants, even if not as righteous as him, could walk this path and conquer the land.

Moreover, the path taken by Abraham's victory over the four kings parallels the Israelite journey under Moses. The kings conquered the Rephaim in Ashtaroth Karnaim, and by defeating them, Abraham secured his descendants' future victories over the Rephaim in Ashtaroth Karnaim after Og, king of Bashan, restored his kingdom. Indeed, Moses triumphed over him in a miraculous feat.

Additionally, Abraham's descent to Egypt due to famine set a precedent for his descendants, who also descended into Egypt and would rise from there. As the Israelites ascended, they returned to the place of their tent, back to Bethel. During the Judges' time, the Ark of the Covenant remained in Bethel for a while, fulfilling Jacob's promise that it would become a house of Hashem, for it is the gate of heaven.

However, Abraham's wanderings weren't just for setting markers for his descendants. Even naturally, this was Abraham's way of life: he was a shepherd. Shepherds must wander because they have substantial flocks. Grass gets depleted over time, necessitating a move to new areas. Thus, Abraham always stayed in the region but not within cities, making camp outside. Besides, he preferred not to mingle with Canaanites to avoid their corrupt culture influencing his household.

Archaeological research has unveiled that the descriptions of Abraham's wanderings align precisely with the conditions of his time. The routes between Bethel and Shechem, the then-flourishing Negev region, and the area that later became Beersheba, a non-existent entity then, all match. Such a nomadic lifestyle, with groups of shepherds free to rove, graze, and trade, was unique to Abraham's era. In later periods, authorities wouldn't permit such an existence. No later scribe could have known this reality; only the divine words of the Torah accurately capture it all.

This natural setting was also orchestrated by Hashem as "acts of the forefathers are signals to the sons." Abraham's efforts and wanderings through the land, settling, planting groves, erecting altars, calling Hashem's name, and digging wells allowed his descendants to continue that sacred work, purifying the Holy Land from all defilement.