Shabbat Shalom everyone.
Without a doubt, the main character of this Parasha, Parshat Lech Lecha, is Avraham Avinu, the father of the Jewish nation. Avraham Avinu was asked to leave his birthplace, Ur Kasdin, and to go to Eretz Yisrael.
Avraham moves to Eretz Yisrael and goes through a lot of difficulties. He has to get used to the new place and nasty people that wanted to kidnap his wife. There was a famine that caused to leave from Eretz Yisrael to Egypt.
As opposed to Avraham Avinu, Noach had a different challenge dealing with people that were corrupt in different ways, and then to rebuild the world from scratch.
A short comparison between these two characters reveals a major difference. We learn that when Noach was born, he was called Noach because they hoped he would comfort the world. Later on, the Torah says that he was a righteous and perfect person. Above all this, it is written that he found favor in the eyes of G-d.
We don’t know so much about Avraham's background. We know something about his family tree, his father and his brother, but for the first seventy five years of his life, we learn nothing about Avraham. We don’t find anything written on his character traits or his virtues. Then suddenly, we read that HaShem tells Avraham, “לך לך.”
As children, we heard many stories about Avraham Avinu. We learn from the Midrash that Avraham discovered HaShem at the age of three, even though he was surrounded by an idol worshipping world. There is another story that Nimrod threw Avraham to a furnace after Avraham smashed all his fathers idols, and miraculously survived. But none of these stories are written explicitly in the Torah. Why? Why is it important to mention the character traits of Noach, but when it comes to Avraham, we don’t say anything?
This question is asked my many commentators with many answers, but I would like to offer another one that I saw from the Sridei Esh (Rabbi Yechiel Weinberg). He explains in the Gemara that talks about Elisha Ben Avuyah was that he was a great Tanna. However, after he asked his son to fulfill the Mitzvah of Shiluach HaKen (sending away a mother bird), and his son passed away trying to do the Mitzvah, Elisha Ben Avuyah started doubt the existence of G-d, Chas V’Shalom.
The Sridei Esh says the fact that he was sensitive to the the things that happen surrounding him was a good thing, and his student, Rabi Meir, wanted to learn from him this trait, but not his conclusion.
On the other hand, Avraham Avinu had a special sensitivity. Throughout the chapters, we see his kindness to those around him. He could only have had this kindness if he had a sensitivity to those around him. Someone who is unaware of his surroundings’ struggles would not pray for the people of Sodom or go out to fight against four kings who conquered almost the entire world. This sensitivity led him to the fundamental realization that there is a creator to our world.
The is why Avraham Avinu is the father of the Jewish people. We don’t want to be called righteous because we lack in wrongdoing. We want to be like Avraham Avinu, the pillar of Chesed, and be sensitive, and even actively seek, ways to do good for others. Shabbat Shalom.