Abraham was called the “Ivri” which means “from the other side” because he stood up in a world of lies and told the truth. Much like today Israel stand up for truth in a world of lies.
A Quick Dvar Torah: Abraham the Ivri — A Man Who Stood Apart
Good morning. And now for a quick Dvar Torah.
In this week’s parsha, Lech Lecha, Abraham is referred to by a very interesting name: Avram HaIvri — Abram the Hebrew.
What does the word Ivri actually mean?
There are three interpretations, and each one teaches us something important about Abraham and, ultimately, about how we should live our own lives.
The first interpretation is geographical. The word Ivri comes from the Hebrew word ever, meaning “the other side.” Abraham came from Ur Kasdim, in what is today Iraq, in the region of Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. He came from the other side of the river, and therefore he was known as HaIvri, the man from the other side.
The second interpretation is genealogical. Abraham was a descendant of Ever, who was a descendant of Shem, the son of Noah. Therefore, the name Ivri identifies Abraham with his ancestor Ever. You might say it was a family name.
But the third interpretation, which comes from the Midrash, is perhaps the most interesting.
Abraham was called HaIvri because the entire world stood on one side, and Abraham stood on the other.
Think about what that means.
The entire world believed in idols. The world was filled with falsehoods, superstition, and beliefs that Abraham knew were wrong. Yet Abraham was willing to stand alone. He was willing to stand up for what he believed was true, even when the rest of the world disagreed with him.
But Abraham did something more than simply believe in the truth. He acted upon it.
And this is what makes Abraham such an extraordinary figure.
Consider what happens in this week’s parsha during the war between the four kings and the five kings.
Abraham’s nephew Lot is captured. What does Abraham do? Does he sit at home and say, “Well, that’s unfortunate, but it’s not my problem”?
No. He gathers his men, goes to war, defeats the forces that captured Lot, and rescues his nephew.
And afterward, the king of Sodom offers Abraham the spoils of war. Abraham could have become an extremely wealthy man from this victory.
But Abraham refuses.
He says that he will not take even a thread or a shoelace, lest the king of Sodom be able to say, “I made Abram rich.”
Now, Abraham was no fool when it came to money. He was a wealthy man. He owned livestock, had servants, and understood business. He knew the value of wealth.
But he also understood something far more important.
Money is a means to an end. It is not the purpose of life.
Abraham didn’t go to war to enrich himself. He went to war because it was the right thing to do. His nephew needed help, and Abraham took responsibility.
This reminds me of a famous story about George Washington.
After the American Revolution, there were people who wanted Washington to become the king of the new United States. Washington, however, had no interest in becoming a monarch. He had fought for independence and for a republic, not to replace one king with another.
According to a famous historical account, when King George III of England heard that Washington intended to give up power and return to private life, he remarked that if Washington did that, he would be the greatest man in the world.
Think about that.
King George understood what Washington was giving up because he himself was a king. He understood the attraction of power, prestige, and authority.
But Washington understood that the purpose of the Revolution was not to make himself powerful. It was to establish something greater than himself.
And this brings us back to Abraham.
Abraham understood that life was not simply about accumulating wealth or power. It was about doing what was right.
When someone was hungry, Abraham fed him. When someone needed hospitality, Abraham opened his home. When his nephew was in danger, Abraham went out to rescue him.
He didn’t simply sit around waiting for God to tell him what to do.
And this is one of the great differences between Abraham and Noah.
As we’ve discussed before, Noah was a righteous man, but his righteousness was largely passive. God told him to build an ark, and he built an ark. God told him to enter the ark, and he entered the ark.
Abraham, on the other hand, was active.
He went out into the world. He confronted injustice. He helped people. He took responsibility. He tried to make the world a better place.
And he did all this while standing apart from the beliefs and values of the society around him.
That is what it means to be an Ivri.
It doesn’t mean being different simply for the sake of being different. It means having the courage to stand up for what is right, even when everyone else is going in the opposite direction.
And there’s a lesson here for all of us.
We don’t have to change the entire world overnight. We don’t have to be wealthy or powerful. We don’t have to be kings or generals.
We can change the world through our own actions.
By being honest in business. By helping someone who needs assistance. By feeding someone who is hungry. By standing up against injustice. By doing what is right, even when doing what is wrong might be more profitable or more popular.
Abraham taught us that the way to make the world a better place is to begin by becoming a better person ourselves.
And perhaps that is the greatest meaning of the name Avraham HaIvri.
He was a man who stood on the other side of the world, not because he wanted to separate himself from humanity, but because he wanted to show humanity a better way to live.
Something to think about.
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