This week's Torah portion starts the saga of Abraham, introducing him as a middle-aged married adult. The Torah text tells us nothing of his youth or the process that led him to espouse monotheism, so midrash steps in to fill in the blanks. One midrash paints a picture of a young Abraham in a store or temple of idols, left alone to help others serve the idols. His father Terach comes by later that day and is dismayed to see that all the idols are smashed to bits, except the largest one which is 'holding' a sword. He asks his son: "What happened?!?" and Abraham spins a tale of a fight between the idols, which the tall statue won by destroying the others. When his father refuses to accept the story, Abraham asks rhetorically: "If the statues can't fight for themselves, then why should people pray to them?"
Are we to believe this story actually occurred? Perhaps - it could be a strong oral tradition, passed down through the centuries from family to family and eventually making its way into Rabbinic teachings. Perhaps this story was perpetuated because it illustrates a core personality trait of our founding forefather - his role as a social and religious iconoclast. The New Webster Dictionary defines iconoclast as: "n. one who attacks established beliefs; destroyer of images." By telling a story of someone who destroys statues, the midrash hints at the other meaning of iconoclast – someone who attacks established beliefs. In Abraham’s era, the established belief system revolved around idol worship. Some open minded souls could have accepted his contrary views but those invested in the social order of the day probably didn't take kindly to his challenges. This may well have set the stage for God to suggest that Abraham "go, for yourself" to another country.
Are we to believe this story actually occurred? Perhaps - it could be a strong oral tradition, passed down through the centuries from family to family and eventually making its way into Rabbinic teachings. Perhaps this story was perpetuated because it illustrates a core personality trait of our founding forefather - his role as a social and religious iconoclast. The New Webster Dictionary defines iconoclast as: "n. one who attacks established beliefs; destroyer of images." By telling a story of someone who destroys statues, the midrash hints at the other meaning of iconoclast – someone who attacks established beliefs. In Abraham’s era, the established belief system revolved around idol worship. Some open minded souls could have accepted his contrary views but those invested in the social order of the day probably didn't take kindly to his challenges. This may well have set the stage for God to suggest that Abraham "go, for yourself" to another country.
The question this midrash poses to each of us, in our era:
When we encounter established societal attitudes that run contrary to our religious values or ethical imperatives, are we prepared to act differently and to share our reasons why with others?
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