Rabbi Rael Blumenthal

Reading blogs, and watching reels has presented us with a bizarre spectacle this week. There is an openly antisemitic politician, who has been democratically elected to run the most powerful city in the world. And now, the Jews of New York are caught between running further afoul of a man who hates us, and making deals with the devil.

As a nation, this is not our first rodeo. Pharaoh also tried to enlist Jewish midwives to join his side. The Inquisition offered an exemption to Don Yitzchak Abarbanel for him to remain in Spain.

This has occurred countless times throughout our history. But perhaps it is instructive to examine the very first time any Jew is offered to make a deal with an anti-semite: It happens this Shabbos when Avraham is approached by Avimelech.

To provide context, the Torah describes how Avraham and Sarah migrate to Gerar, bringing great blessing to the ruler, Avimelech and his nation.

Of course, this is all part of the grand vision shared by Hashem the Avos – to be a source of goodness, kindness and material wealth. By opening their hearts and homes, Avraham and Sarah are attempting to educate humanity to recognize the truth of ethical monotheism.

But by the time Yitzchak is born, however, Avimelech is nervous. Until this point, Avraham is an eccentric multimillionaire. He’s a little strange, but great for the economy. Yitzchak changes the equation – now Avraham has an heir... And who knows what this young man might do with his wealth and prominence? So Avimelech acts decisively, making a deal with Avraham.

Avraham readily makes the deal; a multi generational promise that their decedents will not engage in land grabbing or military action against each other.

The symbol of this deal is peculiar: Avraham gives seven sheep to Avimelech. The Medrash HaGadol explains this strange gesture, as well as the reason that Avraham is so willing to make a deal in the first place: שבע כבשות כנגד שבע מצוות בני נח – These seven sheep correspond to the Seven Noahide Laws.

Effectively, Avraham is proclaiming: We will be at peace so long as you are willing to observe these seven mitzvos. Rav Saadya Gaon explains that Avraham chooses not erect a monument to mark this deal. Instead he creates some kind of national petting zoo, which will require constant upkeep. The sheep will need to be fed and taken care of. And when one of these sheep dies, it will need to be replaced. This way, the idea of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach will not be forgotten, fading out of collective consciousness like an ancient roadside memorial.

Yet, despite all of these lofty ideals, Chazal (ב”ר נ”ה) view Avraham’s deal very critically:

אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אַתָּה נָתַתָּ שֶׁבַע כְּבָשׂוֹת בְּלִי רְצוֹנִי, חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי מַשְׁהֶה בְּשִׂמְחַת בָּנֶיךָ שִׁבְעָה דוֹרוֹת. אַתָּה נָתַתָּ לוֹ שֶׁבַע כְּבָשׂוֹת בְּלִי רְצוֹנִי, חַיֶּיךָ כְּנֶגֶד כֵּן הוֹרְגִים מִבָּנֶיךָ שִׁבְעָה צַדִּיקִים, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: חָפְנִי, וּפִינְחָס, וְשִׁמְשׁוֹן, וְשָׁאוּל, וּשְׁלשֶׁת בָּנָיו. אַתָּה נָתַתָּ לוֹ שֶׁבַע כְּבָשׂוֹת בְּלִי רְצוֹנִי, כְּנֶגֶד כֵּן בָּנָיו מַחֲרִיבִין מִבָּנֶיךָ שִׁבְעָה מִשְׁכָּנוֹת, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וְגִלְגָּל, נוֹב, וְגִבְעוֹן, וְשִׁילֹה, וּבֵית עוֹלָמִים תְּרֵין.

The Holy One blessed be He said to him [Abraham]: ‘You gave seven ewes against My wishes, by your life, I will delay the rejoicing of your descendants for seven generations.’ ‘You gave him seven ewes against My wishes, by your life, they [the Philistines] will correspondingly kill seven righteous men of your descendants.’ They are: Chofni and Pinchas, Samson, and Saul and his three sons. ‘You gave him seven ewes against My wishes, they [the Philistines] will correspondingly destroy seven Sanctuaries of your descendants.’ These are: The Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, Nov, Givon, Shilo, and the two eternal Temples [in Jerusalem].

Chazal, looking through the eyes of history understood that this deal was fraught. Despite all of his greatest wishes and intentions, Avraham failed to transform Avimelech and his people. They never became a nation of ethical monotheists, and indeed, the children of Avraham would suffer again and again from the savage cruelty of the P’lishtim.

On the one hand, this is a cautionary tale. Be careful with whom you are ready to make a deal. But the Toras Yechiel notes a profound connection between the two Midrashim.

The reason for exile and destruction is not simply that Avraham made a deal with a corrupt despot. It is because throughout our generations, we, the Jewish people have failed to impart the values of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach. In fact, Chazal famously teach us that the primary reasons for the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash were Idolatry, Murder and Immorality. All three of these are part of the seven universal laws!

Hashem certainly cares that we observe Shabbos and Kashrus. But our identity as the Nation of Hashem is directly related to our observance and role modeling of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach. First and foremost, we are to be exemplary people. Thereafter, religious Jews.

We, the Jews who who are still in Chutz La’Aretz have a lot of work to do. If we want the world to change, we need to up our game as Hashem’s people. On a personal level, we need to become paragons of ethical monotheism. But on a national and communal level, that is not enough. We dare not cheapen the sanctity of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach. Which means that we need to unabashedly condemn anyone who supports murderers, excuses immorality and allows for a subversion of justice.

The deep lesson of Chazal is that a temporary truce is nothing more than kicking the can down the road. If the people on the other side of the table are not acting in good faith, we are failing in our national mission. Our job is to ensure that all of humanity is ultimately transformed into good and moral people, and any deal we can make must align with that destiny.

Hashem should give us and our leaders the strength to navigate the days ahead, bringing ourselves and our world to the place He wants us to be.