Parshas Lech Lecha

Achar hadvarim haeleh( Gen. 15-1)
Question: After Avram had gone to war and recovered his captured nephew Lot, Hashem came to Avram and told him not to worry he would become a great nation. Avram accepted this good news and Hashem considered it an act of tzedakah. Why is it an act of tzedakah to accept Hashems blessing.? Rashi explains it was tzedakah because he didn’t ask Hashem for a sign to prove it. Two verses later Hashem promises Avram the land of Israel and Avram demands proof.
Question: Hashem takes Avrom outside and shows him the stars (Gen. 15-5). As they are doing the covenant between the parts Seven verses later in the covenant of the Parts it says the sun was about to set. How do you see the stars in the afternoon..
Let’s do some number crunching and see what we can come up with.

The earliest Sodom could have been founded was 1996 after the dispersion of the Tower of Babel. Before that there were no settlements other than the one that built the tower.

The year of the dispersion was 1996 after creation which was the year of the death of Peleg. We are told in Gen. 10-25 that the world was dispersed in Pelegs lifetime. Tos. Tractate Shabbos 10b proves that it happened in the year of Pelegs death.

Based of the chronologies of the length of life of the biblical figures found in Genesis 11 we can establish Avram as being 48 at that time of the dispersion.

We know that Sodom was subservient to Kedarlaomer for 12 years and then they rebelled. (Avram is now 60)

For 13 years they enjoyed independence before Kedarlaomer came and crushed the rebellion. This brought Avrohom into the war to save Lot and free Sodom. (Avrohom is now 73)

Let’s refer back to the beginning of the parsha. Avrohom left Charan at age 75.  Somethings wrong here.

Seder Olam an ancient biblical chronology offers the following solution to our dilemma. At the covenant between the Parts Avram was 70 years old. When Hashem made a promise to him he asked for a sign. Three years later after having been delivered from war Hashem made a further promise to Avram and he didn’t ask for proof. This Hashem considered an act of tzedakah compared to his earlier reaction. All of his work in Canaan having been finished Avram packed his bags and returned to Charan. There he settled with his father. Two years later when Avram was 75 Hashem called to Avram “Lech Lecha” and he began his journey to assume his destiny in Israel.

Why is the parsha so out of order? Rabbi Yochanan Zweig, Rosh Yeshiva in Miami offers the following insight.

The Avos have the ability to orchestrate the course of Jewish history. Therefore, the events of Avraham’s life must be viewed on two planes: those events which affect him individually, and those in which he functions as the head of the corporate entity of Klal Yisroel. The Torah reflects a sequence of events as they affect the entity of Klal Yisroel, not necessarily as they unfold in Avraham’s private life. Avraham’s going down to Egypt because of the famine foreshadows Bnei Yisroel going down to Egypt because of a famine. Pharaoh attempts to take Sarah from Avraham, much the same way as the Egyptians attempt to kill all of the male Jewish children so that they could take the females for themselves.8 Avraham leaves Mitzrayim with great wealth, ensuring that his descendants would do the same. When entering Eretz Yisroel, a dispute with Lot ensues. Similarly, when attempting to enter Eretz Yisroel, Bnei Yisroel are confronted by Amman and Moa, descendants of Lot.9 Bnei Yisroel conquer the east side of the Jordan, and in the days of Kenosha, the west side of the Jordan, foreshadowed by Avraham defeating the four kings.

Rashi offers a detailed description of how the Covenant of the Pieces made irrevocable the gift of Eretz Yisroel to Bnei Yisroel and ensured their survival from the times of the Davidic Dynasty, followed by the four monarchies which will dominate Bnei Yisroel in exile, and culminating with the coming of Moshiach.10

Parshas Lech Lecha reflects the entire gamut of Jewish history, beginning with the descent to Egypt and concluding with the coming of Moshiach. It is this chronology that the parsha follows, with Avraham functioning as a Patriarch impacting upon his descendants rather than the sequence of his own private life.