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How could Avrohom's idolatry become part of his service of God? The shiur develops a profound yesod from the Rambam (רמב"ם): when a person's search for truth leads him through mistakes and even sins, but ultimately brings him to recognize God, those very mistakes become retroactively elevated to holiness. Avrohom's understanding that the world has intrinsic reality—not illusion—drove his 172-year search and explains why he kept even rabbinic mitzvos before they were commanded.
Rabbi Zweig explores a fundamental question about Avrohom Avinu: Why does the Torah (תורה) credit Avrohom with keeping all 613 mitzvos, including rabbinic enactments, before they were given? The pasuk states "because Avrohom listened to My voice and kept My safeguards (mishmarti), My commandments, My decrees, and My teachings." Rashi (רש"י) explains that "mishmarti" refers to rabbinic prohibitions established to prevent violations of Torah law, such as secondary forbidden relationships and Shabbos (שבת) restrictions. Two difficulties arise: First, why should Avrohom receive reward for doing more than required? Second, why does the Torah begin with the rabbinic observances (mishmarti) rather than the Torah commandments themselves? The shiur presents the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s account of Avrohom's development in Hilchos Avodah Zarah. The Rambam states that when Avrohom was weaned (around age three), he began contemplating the cosmos and questioning how the world could exist without a Master guiding it. Growing up surrounded by idolaters—including his own parents—Avrohom himself engaged in idolatry while searching for truth. The Rambam explicitly states that Avrohom did not recognize God until age forty. This appears to contradict the Gemara (גמרא)'s teaching that Avrohom recognized God at age three, derived from the numerical value of "eikev" (172), indicating he served God for 172 of his 175 years.
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Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
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How could Avrohom keep the entire Torah before it was given, including rabbinical laws? The key insight is that mitzvos represent eternal spiritual realities, not just historical commemorations, so Avrohom could access these truths through his genuine search. His entire 172-year journey—even his early idolatry—retroactively became service of God once he reached ultimate truth.
