021 - כא אלול

This Hayom Yom teaches us about the unique merit that Avraham Avinu, our forefather Avraham, received because of his service of מסירת נפש—self-sacrifice. The text says that it was through his willingness to give up everything, to sacrifice himself in order to לפרסם אלקותו יתברך—publicize the G‑dliness of the One G‑d—to all the people of the world, that he was granted a special reward.

Because of this, Avraham was privileged to bequeath to his descendants, to all of his children for all generations, the האמונה הטהורה בה'—the pure faith in G‑d—and in His Torah. This is not just a historical fact about Avraham, but something that affects every Jew, man or woman, in every generation.

The Hayom Yom emphasizes that every single Jew, whether a man or a woman, has the הכח והעוז—the power and the strength—to give up their soul, to sacrifice themselves for the observance of the holy Torah. This means that the ability for מסירת נפש is not something reserved for the greats of the past, but is an inheritance to every Jew, a spiritual strength that is part of our very being, thanks to Avraham Avinu’s self-sacrifice.