Vayera – He Touched Heaven. Then He Came Back for Those Still on Earth.

Avraham comes down from the Akeidah after an encounter with Hashem that we can barely begin to imagine. Waiting below are Yishmael and Eliezer, who couldn’t even see what he and Yitzchak saw on the mountain. What kind of relationship could he possibly have with them now?

The Torah tells us: “וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ יַחְדָּו.” They got up and walked together.

In this shmuz, given at the Thursday morning Shana Bet shmuz in Mevaseret, Rav Burg explores the remarkable humility of Avraham Avinu. The people accompanying him were people he loved, people he felt responsible to care for and bring close. He brought them as far as they could go. And when he returned from the mountain, he was ready to keep walking with them.

Through the contrast between Avraham and Bilaam, we discover a greatness that makes room for others. What does it mean to share your light with someone who cannot yet see what you see? To care about their growth without needing them to be on your level? Avraham’s journey invites us to consider whether the people in our lives feel that we are really with them, wherever they may be.

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