Pensée juive sur Isaïe 58:11

Rabbi Assi, in the same Midrash, describes it somewhat differently. Seeing that Abraham's question referred only to the chances of future generations, G-d’s answer matched the question. Rabbi Assi describes Abraham as taking a hammer and beating down on the carcasses, which, however, withstood his hammering. Thereupon Abraham used the power of repentance to chase away the vultures. The parable is that there are two ways of insuring character growth; either suffering, which is character refining, or repentance. Since suffering is limited in time, and after too long a period may become counterproductive through the victim having died before his character had been sufficiently refined, the power of someone else's merit may have to be employed by G-d to revive such a victim. G-d explained to Abraham that after four generations of suffering, designed to steel his descendants against moral decay, salvation would have to occur. The darkness Abraham saw in his vision, was the suffering of his descendants which would ensure that they would eventually inherit the land G-d had promised (after four generations). Abraham himself, would not have to undergo suffering, of course, as part of this process of readying Israel for nationhood. Abraham accepted G-d’s explanation that the power of sacrifices would be of a redeeming quality should his descendants suffer moral lapses. He was concerned, however, over what would take the place of these sacrifices during periods when, owing to the absence of a temple, such sacrifices could not be offered. Regarding this eventuality, he was shown that the experience of exile coupled with suffering would constitute the way his descendants' sins could be expiated. The concept of "who remembers the sins of the fathers to the children" revealed to Moses at a later stage (Exodus 34,7) is already embodied in the statement about the fourth generation of Jews having to wait for the fourth generation of depraved Emorites having exhausted their claim to continued existence in the land of Canaan. The covenant concluded at that time has still not been fulfilled in its entirety. Therefore, we still live on the strength of it, awaiting the total fulfilment, i.e. inheritance of the lands of all the ten tribes mentioned in the promise. "The great river" is, after all, identical with the river emanating from Eden, whose waters irrigated the entire globe. Isaiah 58,11-12 envisages Israel as the well-irrigated garden which provides sustenance for the whole of mankind, in due course. Abraham's fears about the future are thus laid to rest, as mentioned in the Midrash we quoted at the outset. Abraham, who had feared that among the soldiers he had slain in liberating Lot there could have been good persons, was thanked by G-d instead for having done the Lord's work for Him. He had removed unwanted thorns and thistles. Success in such an enterprise does not constitute reward in itself, on the contrary, it merely qualifies Abraham for even greater rewards in the future.

Rabbi Assi, in the same Midrash, describes it somewhat differently. Seeing that Abraham's question referred only to the chances of future generations, G-d’s answer matched the question. Rabbi Assi describes Abraham as taking a hammer and beating down on the carcasses, which, however, withstood his hammering. Thereupon Abraham used the power of repentance to chase away the vultures. The parable is that there are two ways of insuring character growth; either suffering, which is character refining, or repentance. Since suffering is limited in time, and after too long a period may become counterproductive through the victim having died before his character had been sufficiently refined, the power of someone else's merit may have to be employed by G-d to revive such a victim. G-d explained to Abraham that after four generations of suffering, designed to steel his descendants against moral decay, salvation would have to occur. The darkness Abraham saw in his vision, was the suffering of his descendants which would ensure that they would eventually inherit the land G-d had promised (after four generations). Abraham himself, would not have to undergo suffering, of course, as part of this process of readying Israel for nationhood. Abraham accepted G-d’s explanation that the power of sacrifices would be of a redeeming quality should his descendants suffer moral lapses. He was concerned, however, over what would take the place of these sacrifices during periods when, owing to the absence of a temple, such sacrifices could not be offered. Regarding this eventuality, he was shown that the experience of exile coupled with suffering would constitute the way his descendants' sins could be expiated. The concept of "who remembers the sins of the fathers to the children" revealed to Moses at a later stage (Exodus 34,7) is already embodied in the statement about the fourth generation of Jews having to wait for the fourth generation of depraved Emorites having exhausted their claim to continued existence in the land of Canaan. The covenant concluded at that time has still not been fulfilled in its entirety. Therefore, we still live on the strength of it, awaiting the total fulfilment, i.e. inheritance of the lands of all the ten tribes mentioned in the promise. "The great river" is, after all, identical with the river emanating from Eden, whose waters irrigated the entire globe. Isaiah 58,11-12 envisages Israel as the well-irrigated garden which provides sustenance for the whole of mankind, in due course. Abraham's fears about the future are thus laid to rest, as mentioned in the Midrash we quoted at the outset. Abraham, who had feared that among the soldiers he had slain in liberating Lot there could have been good persons, was thanked by G-d instead for having done the Lord's work for Him. He had removed unwanted thorns and thistles. Success in such an enterprise does not constitute reward in itself, on the contrary, it merely qualifies Abraham for even greater rewards in the future.