Ezra Hersch – Year 11

Parashat Lekh Lekha

In this week’s Parashah, Lekh Lekha, Abravam is referred to as “Ha-Ivri”. The meaning of “Ha-Ivri” is explored in the Midrash which cites three different opinions.

According to Rabbi Yehuda, “Ivri” means to be “on one side” (mi-ever echad) – Avraham was “on one side” (mi-ever echad) and the rest of the world was on another side (mi-ever echad). To take a stand, to live one’s truth, to be on one side even if the rest of the world stands against you is to be an “Ivri”.

Rabbi Nechemiah explains “Ivri” to mean that Abraham was a descendent of Ever, his grandfather. Despite his wanderings Abraham was faithful and proud of his lineage.

The third opinion, that of “the Rabbis” says that Abraham was called “Ha-Ivri” because he spoke Ivrit (Hebrew). Normally a language is named after the nation or group that speaks it, however, here Avraham takes his name from the language he spoke – the language with which God created the world and the language of the promises that God made to Avraham. Like Avraham, the Jewish people, even though separated from the land of the Hebrews – Eretz Ha-Ivrim– were able to maintain their national aspirations through their connection to the Hebrew language.

Among the promises God made to Avraham, in this week’s Parashah, is: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you… and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you”. This can be seen as a result of standing up for your truth and being faithful to your language, heritage and beliefs – this is what it means to be an “Ivri”.

It is therefore quite fitting that the peace agreements signed between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain and most recently Sudan (which bring blessings to both Israel and the Arab peoples) be called the “Avraham Accords”, which bring the “ever echad” of Avraham together with the “ever echad” of the surrounding nations.