Birth Of Abraham:
Year 1948, 1812 Years Before The Common Era.

Around fifty years prior to the Dispersion, Nimrod has an encounter with a child who professes Monotheism and refuses to adopt the State religion.

A person by the name of Terach manufactured and sold idols. One day, he had to leave his son in charge of the store. In his father's absence, the boy discouraged customers from idolatry. He told them that it was ridiculous to pray to something that was made the day before.

Furthermore, the boy smashed all of the idols except for the largest one. When his father returned, he explained that the gods got into a fight over an offering that someone left for them and the largest idol won.

Furious, the father screamed, "You are lying! How can you say that these chunks of stone got into a fight?" The boy responded, "If they are gods then they have power. If they have power then they can get into a fight. However, if they can't fight then they must have no power. If they have no power then they are not gods. What's wrong if they are broken?"

This is treated as a crime against the State.

Nimrod gives the boy a choice. Either bow down right now to an idol or die. Although the boy was alone against his parents, his society, and the Government, he nevertheless accepts death over paganism. Nimrod has him thrown into a fiery furnace. The boy emerges unscathed.

The child is named Avram. He will later be renamed Avraham (Abraham) by G-d Himself.

In Loving Memory Of Our Father, Mr. Joseph Black (Yosef Ben Zelig) O"H In Loving Memory Of Our Mother, Mrs. Norma Black (Nechama Bas Tzvi Hirsh) O"H

© 1996- by Tzvi Black, JewishAmerica. All rights reserved.