Pain gives way to Promise

14-year-old Paulina tells of her father’s heroism. He was a courageous Israeli police officer who lost his life last October 7, rescuing fellow officers from a terrorist-overrun police station. “At Shiva, another officer told us, “I was the last one to see Denis. He saved my life there.”

But what moved me most about her story in One Day In October, was how tenderly important it was to her that her daddy’s story was going to be told. “I’m so happy that my dad is going to be in this book. It’s really important to me. Really. I was so excited when I got the message asking me to tell his story. And I know that someday my kids, though they’ll never meet their grandpa, will know that he was a good man.”

Stories of heroes, ordinary heroes rising from and to extraordinary places, are so important. Here’s another one.

Once upon a time, a man named Abraham was walking through the ancient countryside. In the distance he saw a palace. It was in flames. He looked closely to see whether it was abandoned or had anyone attending to the fire. After a while, he was reassured. Because he detected someone’s presence in an upper window. The palace, for the rabbis who tell this story, represents the world. It felt like it was on fire with violence and arrogance. Abraham worried that there was nobody at home to contain and extinguish the flames. But he was reassured to realize that there was, and still is, a God who presides in the world. 

This tale rings true, alas. It may have once qualified Abraham for God’s call in this week’s portion of Torah. In our times, it feels familiar. Close. Viscerally so. 

Young Paulina tells of a dream she had. “The week it happened, I dreamed that he, like, came to us, and hugged us and told us it was just a drill. I felt his hug so deeply in that dream. I’m still holding on to that hug.”

Abraham too has a dream. He’s told, “know for sure that your descendants will be estranged and oppressed but God will redeem them” (Gen. 15:13). Taken together with the portion’s opening promise, to be blessedly influential to the families of the world, the message is clear: pain will give way to promise. 

This won’t happen on its own. It requires discipline, defiance, and devotion. Emotional and spiritual elbow grease. Abraham was tested again and again. We’re certain to continue to be too. 

No matter how dark and inflamed the present and future are, keeping faith with promises made between God and Abraham this week, like Paulina’s hug from her beloved father, will enable us to rise kindly.