Israel and Humanity - Apostleship of the Hebrew patriarch
II.
The call of Abraham.
§ 1.
Apostolate of the Hebrew patriarch.
The universality of the Act in view Hebrew us far appeared in an abstract way, he is now considering the applications.
We find him first in the dual aspect of revelation according to Judaism, it is both primitive and Adamite and therefore universal in time and in space. It is primitive, there is no doubt. The book of Genesis tells us that God "began communicating with the first man, but she adds a detail that has not perhaps been sufficiently noted is that the intellectual act which the original first man seems to have been called a revelation from the Creator: "God created man in His own image ... God blessed them and God said ... In addition Revelation is Adamite and hence universal in space. Is not that Adam indeed that all humanity was to come out? and humanity itself it was not intended to populate all parts of the earth?
There are a series of Haggadot The main idea expressed in different ways is that Adam should have been that Israel has become since. To him, say the Rabbis, that the Act should be given [1], is to him that the twelve tribes should have been from [2], and finally the work which was imposed in the earthly paradise was in compliance with all the positive and negative precepts of the Torah. Does it seem that not we want to erase any distinction between Israel and humanity to better mark [3] the revelation belongs to all children of Adam and not just the son of Abraham?
The great Jewish patriarch himself is proof that not only initially, but in the course of history, the revelation of the divine law has this double character of universality, it appears with Indeed, either from the biblical data, or according to the testimony of tradition, as the Apostle of the Gentiles. The Bible says, repeatedly invoked Abraham, proclaimed the name of the Lord and about this he built altars in the places where he planted his tent. "There he built an altar to the Lord and he proclaimed the name of the LORD [4] ". Onkelos sees, it is true, this worship of Abraham as the patriarch of individual prayer, but Beresch Rabba has also heard he was trying to make converts. "It was invoked, he says, to every creature called Holy One, blessed be He! "Nahmanides no hesitation on the meaning of this sentence from the book of Genesis:" Most likely, he writes, he proclaimed it aloud at the altar of God and the name that he made known his divinity and Maimonides also accepts this interpretation.
But what is more important than any philological discussion, what are the other scriptural evidence in favor of the apostolate Abraham. The text of the book of Genesis regarding the departure of Haran that can be literally translated thus: "Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, with all the property they had and the people (in Hebrew souls) they made in Charan [5] "has been understood by doctors and Onkelos himself in this sense that Abraham and Lot took with them all the proselytes they had made during their stay.
In another passage the same book, God said to Abimelech, "Now return the man's wife, because he is a prophet (Nabi ), he will pray for you and you will live [6] ". Abraham was therefore known as a prophet by the pagans. Even more, he could not be Nabi for them. Who indeed would he sent his preaching, if not to the Gentiles? Because this was the role of [7] Nabi The text of the book of Samuel where it is called light ( Roè ), with this explanation of the sacred historian that was then called Nabi was formerly called Seeing clearly indicates, we believe the dual mission of the prophet at the time of the writer, the preacher and the developer of the future: but as in earlier times, at the time of Abraham, he was probably called Nabi, it would prove only the first mission, that of the preacher, there time of the Patriarch.
Here is another indication of the apostolate of the Hebrew patriarch of Genesis that we provide. We read that the son of Heth, in their response to the acquisition made by Abraham, give it as a token of their respect, the title of prince of God, El-Nevi ohieme , which has perhaps the significance of religious leader: "Hear us, O Lord, thou art a prince of God among us! [8] "Where can come from this esteem and reverence for a man who, professing the purest monotheism, would rather look at a pagan opponent of their local deities, if is the success that had crowned his efforts to attract them to his faith? This belief that they were presented not as a novelty, but as the very form of their old religion, had therefore already gaining adherents among son of Heth.
We also know that God changes Abram's name to that of Abraham and that this change is explained as meaning he would be made the father of many nations. It seems that God's promise had begun to be realized for the patriarch and the name of a prince of God, which is given in this circumstance, is already an admission of paternity glory on which we must now stop a moment .
