Pensée juive sur Néhémie 9:7

The Midrash, according to Rabbi Yehudah, describes the difference between Noach and Abraham in the story of the king who had two sons. To the younger one the king said "Walk with me," whereas to the senior one he said "Walk ahead of me." Noach, whose faculties were limited, was told "Go with Me," whereas Abraham who possessed outstanding intellect, was told "Walk in front of Me." Rabbi Nechemyah in Bereshit Rabbah 30 views Noach as walking in clay and being rescued by G-d, whereas Abraham viewed G-d as being confined to dark alleys; he proceeded to illuminate the alleys for G-d through a window. G-d responded by suggesting that instead of illuminating a window in Mesopotamia, Abraham should illuminate the land of Canaan. Clearly, the Midrash's analysis is similar to our own, except that the two Rabbis make differences in degree. According to Rabbi Yehudah, Noach's faith was an uncritical acceptance of everything handed down by his father, and therefore caused him to walk in darkness. He needed G-d to enlighten him. Abraham, on the other hand, according to Rabbi Nechemyah endeavored to illuminate the darkness surrounding the existence and knowledge of G-d by using his mind. G-d extended His help to Abraham with both hands as it says, "For I know him, so that he will command his children and household after him to observe My commandments." This was the natural result of recognising the existence of His Creator (Genesis 18,19). As long as Abraham's actions were not the result of instructions from G-d, he is not praised, and his exploits are not specifically mentioned. Even when he sanctified G-d’s name by allowing himself to be thrown into Nimrod's furnace rather than worship him as a deity, this is not reported in the Torah, since this action demonstrated his intellectual integrity only, not his faith. Faith is something that G-d demands from us. At the time when the Torah introduces the personality of Abraham to the reader, no such demand had been made upon him, since no promise had been made to him either as compensation for demonstrating faith.