Bible Study Part 2: Abraham’s Mission: Becoming the Blessing That Transforms the World

The notion of blessing regarding individuals appears most prominently in Torah in God’s incipient interaction with Abraham; it is indeed the condition upon which their relationship is launched. In the aftermath of the flood, where God needed to reset the world (Genesis 6:6), He chooses a different method for monitoring and guiding humanity—less about direct intervention and more about peer-to-peer development.

Abraham Calls Out in the Name of God

The election of Abraham was a critical stage in how God would operate. He appoints a representative in the world who would call out in His name and remind humanity of the Creator. When, after humanity sought to “make a name for themselves” (Genesis, 11:4), Abraham did the opposite, calling out in the name of God (Genesis 12:8). God responds by sending Abraham to the most central location in the ancient near-eastern civilization, the cross-roads between Mesopotamia and Egypt—Canaan!

Abraham’s unspoken mission was to call out the name of God to all who would listen, to be the role model for the world, speaking truth and performing kindness—the ultimate balance of hesed ve-emet (kindness and truth). And thus, Abraham spends much of his time traversing north and south, east and west, calling out in God’s name. In fact, while God does not give Abraham instructions other than to move to the land, He does speak of the rewards Abraham will receive:

(1) The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. (2) I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you (va’avarechekha); I will make your name great, And be a blessing (veh’ye berakha). (3) I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you (Ve’nevrekhu bekha).” (Genesis 12:1-3)

‘Bless’ Appears Five Times

The guiding word for the paragraph is barukh (bless), appearing five times in this short segment. Many commentators attempt to understand the repetition of barukh, and especially the expression, “be a blessing.” Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch, writing in Germany in the nineteenth century, explicates:

As opposed to the nations of the world, Abraham will become a berakhah. The world wants to be “blessed,” but the ideal is to become the blessing! I want [says God] to make you a nation that will be a light to the nations, a nation that when others look at you they will know their mission, and your mission is to be that blessing. As opposed to the other nations who concern themselves with physical blessings and self-aggrandizement, you, Abraham, hear one voice–“be the blessing.” Your life will be sanctified for Godly purposes, of bringing love and peace to all in the world, and to return the world to its splendor. (Commentary on Torah 12:3, my translation)

The paragraph concludes with yet another formulation of berakha in the words ve’nevrekhu bekha kol mishpehot ha-adamah, “And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.”

Bestowing a Blessing to the World

Taking this one step further, I believe we can understand the emphasis on berakha not only in terms of what the nations of the world would receive through Abraham (physical and spiritual bounty) but also by what they would impart–they would bestow berakha to the world. In order for God’s plan to work it could not only be Abraham and his family/tribe/nation enlightening the world about God’s beneficence; nations of the world who were the recipients of said berakha would disseminate it as well. This article aims to trace those holy gentile souls who heard the call from Abraham and his students, came to see for themselves and be inspired, and then called out in the name of God, even blessing the Israelites and ultimately God Himself.