Abraham in Ur Kasdim and his Departure from There

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The Journey from Ur to Haran

TANAKH

The journey of Terah and his family, including Abram, from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran highlights the physical relocation and the initial steps of Abram's significant journey. The Book of Genesis, the first book of the Torah, narrates the origins of mankind and the Israelites, including the journey of Terah and his family from Ur to Haran.

Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan; but when they had come as far as Haran, they settled there.

Genesis 11:31

Abraham's Faith and Haran's Doubt

TARGUM

The story of Abraham's unwavering faith and miraculous survival contrasts sharply with Haran's internal conflict and tragic fate. The Targum Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, adds midrashic elements to the biblical story of Abraham, enriching the narrative with Jewish tradition and lore.

And it was when Nimrod had cast Abram into the furnace of fire because he would not worship his idol, and the fire had no power to burn him, that Haran's heart became doubtful, saying, If Nimrod overcome, I will be on his side: but if Abram overcome, I will be on his side. And when all the people who were there saw that the fire had no power over Abram, they said in their hearts, Is not Haran the brother of Abram full of divinations and charms, and has he not uttered spells over the fire that it should not burn his brother? Immediately (min yad…

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 11:28

Abraham's Early Righteousness

MIDRASH

Abraham's early life exemplifies his unique righteousness and his role in uniting all mankind before God. The midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah connects Abraham's trials and his engagement in mitzvot from a young age to the allegorical interpretation of Song of Songs.

Rabbi Berekhya interpreted the verse regarding Abraham our patriarch. “We have a little sister [aḥot]” – this is Abraham, as it is stated: “Abraham was one [eḥad], and he inherited the land” (Ezekiel 33:24). He united [iḥa] all mankind before the Holy One blessed be He. Bar Kappara said: Like a person who mends [me’aḥeh] a tear. When he was a child, he was engaged in mitzvot and good deeds. “And she has no breasts” – he had not yet reached the age of [obligation in] mitzvot and good deeds…

Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:8:2

Abraham's Fiery Ordeal

TALMUD

The story of Abraham being saved from the fiery furnace by God Himself underscores the unique and profound relationship between God and Abraham. The Gemara elaborates on this dramatic event, highlighting the divine intervention and the subsequent reward given to the angel Gabriel for his willingness to assist.

And some say that the angel Gabriel recited: “And the truth of the Lord endures forever.” This Gemara elaborates: When the evil Nimrod threw our father, Abraham, into the fiery furnace, Gabriel said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, I will descend and cool the furnace, and I will thereby save the righteous Abraham from the fiery furnace. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: I am unique in my world and Abraham is still unique in his world. It is fitting for the unique to save the unique…

Pesachim 118a:20

Abraham's Divine Rescue

MUSAR

G–d saved Abraham from the furnace not just for immediate sanctification, but to ensure the future birth of Isaac, Jacob, and the establishment of the Jewish nation. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz, in his 17th-century work, explores the theological reasoning behind divine intervention in Abraham's life, emphasizing its significance for the future of the Jewish people.

The issue is the following: Since Abraham meant to demonstrate his dedication to G–d when he refused to recognize Nimrod as a deity and allowed himself to be thrown into the furnace, i.e. to die in order to sanctify the name of G–d, he should have been burned. A צדיק does not perform an act of קידוש השם, expecting to be saved by a miracle. On the contrary, his major merit accrues to him when his intention is carried out. This is why the Ten Martyrs at the time of Hadrianus are extolled by us thousands of years later…

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Vayetzei, Torah Ohr 32

Abraham's Escape and Hiding

MIDRASH

Abraham's escape from Ur Kasdim is a dramatic tale of divine intervention and human courage. The medieval midrashic text Sefer HaYashar provides a detailed narrative of Abraham's early life, including his escape from the king's wrath and his subsequent hiding with Noah and Shem.

And Eliezer, the servant which the king had given unto Abram, was present when Anuki had ‎thus spoken before the king. And Eliezer ran hastily unto Abram, and he reached there before ‎the messengers of the king had time to arrive. And Eliezer said unto Abram: Arise and flee for ‎thy life before the king's messengers come to kill thee, for such and such was the king's dream ‎and thus the interpretation of Anuki and his advice concerning thee. And Abram hearkened ‎unto the voice of Eliezer and he hied unto the house of Noah and his son Shem, to save his ‎life…

Sefer HaYashar (midrash), Book of Genesis, Noach 27

A Unique Exemption for Abraham

MIDRASH

Abraham was uniquely exempted by God from the commandment to honor his father and mother, yet he was still concerned about the desecration of God's name. The midrashic text Bereshit Rabbah, a talmudic-era midrashic work on the book of Genesis, explores the ethical dilemma Abraham faced when commanded to leave his homeland, highlighting the tension between honoring one's parents and following God's command.

“The Lord said to Abram: Go you, from your land” – what is written prior to this matter? “Teraḥ died in Ḥaran” (Genesis 11:32). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: If you follow the calculation [of years] until now, he [Teraḥ] still had an additional sixty-five years coming to him. The explanation is that, initially, you expound that the wicked are considered dead [even] during their lifetimes. Because our forefather Abraham was fearful, and he said: ‘If I go, the name of Heaven will be desecrated because of me, as people will say: He abandoned his father and left him in his old age…

Bereshit Rabbah 39:7

From Furnace to Promise

COMMENTARY

God's miraculous act of saving Avram from the furnace was intended to lead to the eventual inheritance of the land of Canaan by Avram and his descendants. Rabbeinu Bahya, a medieval Jewish scholar, turns here to Ramban's exegesis on Genesis 15:7, exploring the conditions and assurances of God's promise to Avram.

אני ה' אשר הוצאתיך מאור כשדים, “I am the Lord Who has taken you out of Ur Casdim, etc.” According to Nachmanides G’d referred to the time commencing with His saving Avram miraculously from the furnace of Nimrod. Ever since Avram had enjoyed G’d’s goodwill and He had intended to give the land of Canaan to him. What G’d said here did not mean that He was now going to give the land to Avram but that the reason He had saved Avram from Ur Casdim was in order to eventually give it to him. In view of all this…

Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 15:7:1

Abraham's Journey to Monotheism

HALAKHAH

Abraham's journey from idolatry to monotheism laid the foundation for the Jewish people's covenant with God. Maimonides' famed 12th-century code of Jewish law, Mishneh Torah, recounts Abraham's intellectual and spiritual transformation and his role in establishing a lineage dedicated to monotheism.

After this mighty man was weaned, he began to explore and think. Though he was a child, he began to think [incessantly] throughout the day and night, wondering: How is it possible for the sphere to continue to revolve without having anyone controlling it? Who is causing it to revolve? Surely, it does not cause itself to revolve.
He had no teacher, nor was there anyone to inform him. Rather, he was mired in Ur Kasdim among the foolish idolaters. His father, mother, and all the people [around him] were idol worshipers, and he would worship with them…

Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 1:3

The Mystery of Ur of the Chaldees

COMMENTARY

The name 'Ur of the Chaldees' might have had a different meaning or name at the time of Abraham's birth, possibly referring to an altar or a significant event involving fire. Ibn Ezra, a medieval Jewish commentator, provides historical and linguistic insights into the Torah, focusing here on the etymology and historical context of this biblical location.

[AND BEGOT ABRAM.] Abraham was born in a place called Ur of the Chaldees. Therefore glorify ye the Lord in the regions of light (be-urim) (Is. 24:15) is like it. It appears to me that at the time of Abraham’s birth Ur of the Chaldees had another name since the Chaldees are descended from Nahor, the brother of Abraham, and that in writing the Torah Moses used the name in vogue in his time when he cited Ur of the Chaldees. Proof that Abraham was born in Ur of the Chaldees can be found in the fact that Haran died there and Scripture says, And Haran died…in the land of his nativity…

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 11:26:1

The Ten Trials of Abraham

COMMENTARY

Abraham's resilience through ten trials, including his miraculous survival from the fiery furnace, showcases his exceptional character. Rabbeinu Yonah's commentary on Pirkei Avot, a work of ancient rabbinic ethics and wisdom from the land of Israel, delves into the ten tests of Abraham, offering insights into his faith and endurance.

With ten tests Abraham, our father, was tested - and he withstood them all: The first was 'Ur (which besides being a place name can also mean fire) Kasdim' - that Nimrod dropped him down into the fiery furnace and he was saved. And this is not explicit in the Torah and it is from the words of tradition. But we have a hint about this thing from the Torah; that before Parshat Lech Lecha Meartsekha ouMemoladetekha, Ur Kasdim is mentioned twice above [it], to make known that it was because of that test that he withstood that God, may He be blessed…

Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot 5:3:1

The Divine Covenant with Abraham

LITURGY

Abraham's journey from Ur Kasdim marks the beginning of the divine covenant that shapes the Jewish faith. The Pesukei Dezimra, part of the morning prayers, uses these verses from Nehemiah 9 to praise God for His covenant with Abraham.

You alone are Adonoy; You have made the skies, the skies of skies and all their hosts, the earth and all that is upon it, the seas and all that is in them; and You give life to all of them, and the heavenly hosts bow before You. You are Adonoy, the God Who chose Avrom, and brought him out of Ur Kasdim and established his name (as) Avrohom. And You found his heart faithful before You,

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Pesukei Dezimra, Ata Hu 1

The Journey of Abraham and Terah

COMMENTARY

Abraham's journey was not just a physical departure but also a significant familial and spiritual transition. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores the nuanced narrative of Abraham's departure, emphasizing the role of his father, Terah, in the initial stages of the journey.

It turns out, in other words, that Abraham left his father’s house long after he had left his land and his birthplace. His birthplace was in Ur, in what is today southern Iraq, but he only separated from his father in Haran, in what is now northern Syria. Terah, Abraham’s father, accompanied him for the first half of his journey. He went with his son at least part of the way. What actually happened? There are two possibilities. The first is that Abraham received his call in Ur. His father Terah then agreed to go with him, intending to accompany him to the land of Canaan…

Studies in Spirituality; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Lekh Lekha; Journey of the Generations 12-13

The Moral Journey of Abraham

SECOND TEMPLE

The departure of Terah and Abraham from Chaldaea to Haran is not just a historical event but a profound moral lesson. Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, blends Jewish theology with Greek philosophy to explore the deeper meanings behind this foundational story.

[52] The information that Terah left the land of Chaldaea and migrated to Haran, taking with him his son Abraham and his kindred, is given us not with the object that we may learn as from a writer of history, that certain people became emigrants, leaving the land of their ancestors, and making a foreign land their home and country, but that a lesson well suited to man and of great service to human life may not be neglected.

On Dreams, Book I 10:1

Abraham's Pre-Existing Journey

KABBALAH

The Torah’s use of the term 'departed' (וַיֵּלֶךָ) suggests that Abraham had already begun his journey from Ur Kasdim before God's command. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, offers a deep, esoteric interpretation of Abraham's departure, emphasizing a pre-existing journey rather than one initiated solely by divine instruction.

SO ABRAM WENT AS THE LORD HAD SPOKEN TO HIM, ETC. Said R. Eleazar: ‘It is not written “and Abram went forth”, but simply “Abram went”; the first step was “going forth”, as it is written, “and they went forth (vayez’u) from Ur of the Chaldees” (Gen. 11, 31), but the second step was “going”, corresponding to God’s command “Go (lech) thou” (Ibid. 12, 1).

Zohar, Lech Lecha 8:49

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