Abraham: The Trailblazer of Faith

When: According to popular belief, Abraham was born in the city of Ur of the Chaldees, in southern Mesopotamia, in the year 1812 BCE. The Midrash tells us that even as a three-year-old, he pondered the wonders of creation and realized the world could not function without a Creator. Over time, he began spreading his revelation to the locals. At 25, he married Sarah. At 75, he left Haran for the promised land following the famous command "Lech Lecha." At 86, his son Ishmael was born. He circumcised himself at 99 upon God's command and had his son Isaac at 100. Ultimately, he passed away at the age of 175.

Lineage: Twenty generations passed from Adam until Abraham. He was born to parents with names you wouldn't guess in a trivia quiz: Terach, son of Nahor, an idol expert, and his mother, Amatlai, daughter of Karnevo. Abraham had two brothers, Nahor and Haran. Haran fathered Lot, Milcah, and Yiscah (who was actually Sarah, our matriarch). Upon reaching marriage age, Abraham took Sarah as a wife, and after her death, he married Keturah (some say it was his maidservant Hagar who returned to him). His well-known sons are Isaac and Ishmael, from whom Jews (descendants of Isaac and Jacob) and Arabs (Ishmael) derive.

With Hashem, when Abraham was born, he was named Abram. The letter H was later added to his name by God Himself as part of changing his destiny and granting him his son Isaac. His wife Sarah, originally named Sarai, was also asked to change her name for the same reason. Adding the letter H symbolized the Divine presence in their lives from then onwards. His moniker, "Abraham the Hebrew," was given because at that time all other people were on one side (worshiping idols), while Abraham was on the other, believing in one God.

Even when Abram was young, the wise men of Nimrod, the wicked king of that era, foresaw his future. They told him that the night Abraham was born, they saw a large star rising in the east and swallowing four stars from the four corners of the heavens. From this, they deduced that Terach's newborn son would be the one to "deny" and stir rebellion against him. Indeed, Abraham became the greatest returner to the faith of all times. As Rashi learns from the verse "and the souls they had made in Haran," Abraham converted the men, and Sarah the women, spreading their belief in one God across the world.

To strengthen Abraham's bond with the Creator, God subjected him to ten trials (the term "trial" is derived from the concept of raising on a standard, elevation to heights), among them the fiery furnace, the covenant between the pieces, "Lech Lecha" from his land, famine in the promised land, saving Lot, circumcision, and, of course, the famed binding of Isaac. These trials are considered the roots of all kinds of trials in the world. By withstanding these, Abraham instilled in his descendants the ability to endure life's challenges. Corresponding to these ten trials, where Abraham succeeded, Hashem gave the Jewish people the Ten Days of Repentance, ten miracles in Egypt, ten plagues upon the Egyptians, and, of course, the Ten Commandments.

Abraham, who authored "The Book of Creation" and established the Shacharit prayer, represents the pillar of kindness in the world. He was known for his hospitality even when in a vulnerable state, days after his circumcision.

Besides Isaac and Ishmael, Abraham had six more sons with the woman he married after Sarah's passing, named Keturah. Their names were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

In the year 1623, Abraham passed away, full of years (there is a debate in the Talmud - Tractate Rosh Hashanah, page 10 - regarding the exact date of his passing. According to Rabbi Eliezer, Abraham died in Tishrei, while Rabbi Yehoshua claims it was in Nissan). After his passing, the patriarch of the nation was buried in the Cave of Machpelah by his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, near Sarah's grave.