[Avodah] Vayeira Imitatio Dei, as well as Mipnei Darkhei Shalom

[Cantor Wolberg]

When my father was four or five years old he went to his grandfather,
the Tzemach Tzedek, on Shabbat Vayeira, and began to cry as he asked:
"Why did God show Himself to our father Avraham - but He does not show  
Himself to us?"
The Tzemach Tzedek answered him: "When a tzadik decides at the age of  
ninety-nine years
that he should be circumcised, he deserves that God appear to him."
 From Likutei Sichot Vol. 1

The Torah tells us that Avraham educated his household to observe and  
maintain the "way of God," but there is no
elaboration as to what exactly this path entails.  What was it that  
Avraham commanded his children and household to do?

The simplest way of understanding this expression is to interpret "the  
way of God" as the attempt to imitate God and to behave
in the way that He appears to us to behave, as our Sages teach in  
several places:

Just as the Almighty is called "merciful" and "compassionate," so  
should you be merciful and compassionate, and be selflessly
giving to all.  Just as the Holy One is called "saintly". so should  
you be saintly.  Just as the Holy One is called "righteous". so should  
you be righteous. (Sifri, Eikev 49)

Just as He clothes the naked. so should you clothe the naked.  The  
Holy One visited the sick. likewise you should visit the sick.
The Holy One comforted mourners. so should you comfort mourners.  The  
Holy One buried the dead. so should you bury the dead. (Sota 14a)

rw
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.aishdas.org/pipermail/avodah-aishdas.org/attachments/20081109/b949182f/attachment-0001.htm>