In this week's parshah, Vayeira, G‑d sent an angel to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. When the angel was on his way, G‑d asked, "Should I conceal from Abraham what I am about to do? Seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and through him all the nations of the world will be blessed. For I cherish1 him, because he will instruct his children and his household after him and they will follow the path of G‑d to do righteousness and justice . . ."2

There are some unusual terms here. The word hamechaseh, which means “should I conceal,” is not the usual word used in this context. Why is it being used? Also, why is following G‑d's way called a derech, “path”?

The verse says that G‑d cherished Abraham, "because he will instruct his children and his household after him and they will follow the path of G‑d to do righteousness and Justice..." What about everything else Abraham did? Wasn't he tested over and over again? Didn't he work hard on teaching people about G‑d? Shouldn't G‑d cherish him for those things?

It seems to be saying that G‑d cherished Abraham because he was the progenitor of us, the Jewish people. In the future, we will do the mitzvot, and because of that, He is revealing what would otherwise be concealed.

To understand this, let’s delve a bit below the surface.

The word derech means a “way” or a “path”. A path connects two places and facilitates travel between the two. One place can be a great city and the other can be a small village. They could have nothing in common, yet they are connected by the path. More so, travel goes both ways. Someone from the great big city can travel on the path to the small town, and he can return on the same path to the great big city.3

In our verse, the words, "he will instruct his children" refer to Torah. "And they will keep G‑d's way" refers to mitzvah observance. The next words, "to do righteousness and justice," seem like a repeat. What do we learn from the extra words?

G‑d is beyond the world and there is nothing in common between this lowly, limited world and G‑d, who is infinite. Nevertheless, G‑d created a pathway for us to connect with Him. First, through Torah, drawing from His infinite light down into our limited lives, and then through doing mitzvot we can reach up and connect levels that are even higher than the source of the Torah. This is because Torah is G‑d's wisdom and mitzvot are His will, and will is higher than wisdom.

This is how we make the world into a home for G‑d. Not by destroying the lowly physical state and turning it into spirituality. Rather it remains the same world, but we make it ready to receive His presence through our Torah and mitzvot.

All this is with regards to the part of G‑d that is, so to speak, related to the world. But there are higher aspects, beyond any connection to reality. These are referred to as "concealed." G‑d is saying that He will reveal these as well. How do we tap into these higher levels?

That is where "righteousness and justice" come in. There are two levels in doing mitzvot. The first is an outcome of Torah. We draw down G‑dliness through the study of Torah, and we do the mitzvot as an outcome of understanding the Torah, thereby reaching even higher levels.

Then there is the second level, where the greatness of mitzvot is on it’s own, not related to Torah study. The power of our mitzvot will be recognized when Moshiach comes, and it is our mitzvot that reveal the concealed levels of G‑dliness and connect us to them.4

This is what G‑d cherishes about Abraham, that we, his descendants, will do the mitzvot, G‑d's will. That’s why He reveals what is concealed.

The power of our mitzvot will only be revealed when Moshiach comes. But they accomplish the same thing, even though we don’t see it, and we have the power to tap into the concealed levels of G‑dliness.5

Our mitzvot are infinitely powerful and G‑d cherishes each and every one of us, because of our commitment to doing them.

Knowing this, we should try to add to the mitzvot we do, and do them with more enthusiasm. Perhaps it will be your mitzvah that will tip the scale and usher in the coming of Moshiach. The time has come.

This Dvar Torah is Dedicated by Moshe Gaerman in memory of Basha Liba bat Avraham