| When Avraham Avinu arrived in Eretz Yisrael, he merited an exalted and transformative prophecy. HaShem promised him two of the greatest blessings a person could receive: that he would be the father of a great nation and that his descendants would inherit the Land of Israel. Overwhelmed by HaShem’s kindness, Avraham bowed in gratitude and offered heartfelt thanks. Yet, as the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh teaches, Avraham’s deepest joy and thanksgiving were not for these magnificent promises. Rather, his greatest happiness was for the Divine revelation itself—that the holy Shechinah had appeared to him and spoken directly with him. For Avraham, no material or even spiritual reward could compare to the experience of closeness with HaShem.
To Avraham, the promise of children and land was secondary to the supreme joy of sensing the Divine Presence. His soul yearned for attachment to HaShem above all else. The revelation of the Shechinah was, to him, the truest treasure—the essence of life itself.
Avraham’s love of HaShem was so pure and selfless that his joy in receiving the revelation of the Shechinah far surpassed the joy of being told that he would have descendants who would inherit Eretz Yisrael. His heart overflowed not because of the blessings he would receive, but because of the nearness of HaShem Himself.
Imagine yourself standing in the Beis HaMikdash, enveloped by the radiance of the Shechinah—the very Presence of HaShem resting upon you. Feel the light, the peace, and the boundless love that fill your heart and soul. If even a moment of such closeness could be felt, it would outweigh all worldly joy. Let Avraham Avinu’s example inspire us to seek not only HaShem’s blessings, but HaShem Himself. (Based on the Ohr HaChaim HaKodesh)
| 
