The Torah in Parashat Lech-Lecha tells of a war that was waged by four kingdoms against the five cities of the Jordan River Valley, the largest and most famous of which was Sedom. The four armies conquered Sedom, and took its population – which included Lot, the nephew of Abraham Abinu – captive. A refugee from the war fled to Abraham and informed him that his nephew had been captured. Abraham immediately mobilized a small army, pursued the four kings, and, miraculously, defeated them, rescuing Lot and the other captives. The Torah tells that Abraham assembled a force of 318 men, but Rashi, based on the Gemara in Masechet Nedarim, comments that in truth, Abraham waged this war together with just one man – his trusted servant, Eliezer. The name “Eliezer” in Gematria equals 318, and thus the Torah alludes to Eliezer when it speaks of Abraham’s gathering a group of 318 men.
In the verse that tells of the refugee informing Abraham of what happened, Abraham is referred to as “Abraham Ha’ibri” (“Abraham the Hebrew” – 14:13). The word “Ibri” stems from the word “Eber,” which means “across,” or “the other side.” This refers to Abraham’s having originated from Mesopotamia, across the Euphrates River. Additionally, it refers to the fact that Abraham lived “on the other side,” opposing the entire world. Everyone in his time believed in and practiced idolatry, whereas Abraham believed in and preached the existence of the one, true G-d who created the universe.
The question arises, why is this point mentioned specifically in this context? This is the only instance in the Torah where Abraham is called “Abraham Ha’ibri.” How is this title relevant to the context of this war?
The work Ha’ketab Ve’ha’kabbala (Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenberg, 1785-1865) explains that this was precisely what the entire war was about. The four armies who attacked and ransacked Sedom and the surrounding cities were not interested just in the money and property. They specifically targeted Lot, a relative of Abraham Abinu. Rashi (14:1) writes that Amrafel, the first of the four kings mentioned by the Torah, was Nimrod, the king who had sentenced Abraham to death because of his opposition to idolatry. This was a theological struggle. Even after Abraham’s miraculous escape from the furnace, Nimrod did not give up his relentless campaign against Abraham. And so he attacked Sedom and took Abraham’s nephew captive. This is why Abraham – who was “Ha’ibri,” the opponent of idolatry – needed to respond and wage battle against Nimrod and his comrades.
Our tradition teaches us that “Ma’aseh Abot Siman La’banim” – the stories of our righteous patriarchs established precedents that would repeat themselves later in Jewish history. It would seem that this war waged by Abraham set the precedent for the successful struggle that we will be celebrating in less than two months – the struggle of the Hashmonaim against the Greeks. Like Abraham’s war against Nimrod, the Hashmonaim’s war revolved around religious belief and practice. The Greeks had no interest in killing Jews; their objective was the obliteration of the Jewish faith. The Hashmonaim, like Abraham, heroically stood up for their religious beliefs, values and practices, and went out to fight despite being vastly outnumbered. As we recite in the “Al Ha’nissim” prayer added on Hanukah, Hashem delivered “Rabim Be’yad Me’atim” – “the many into the hands of the few.” The large, powerful Greek army was defeated by a small group of G-d-fearing Jews. Abraham’s successful campaign against the four armies set the precedent that empowered the Hashmonaim to go out to war in defense of their faith, and triumphing against all odds.
Indeed, a number of allusions to the Hanukah story can be found in the account of Abraham’s military offensive. The Torah refers to the men whom Abraham mobilized as “Hanichav,” and Rashi explains that this alludes to Eliezer, “She’hanacho La’misvot” – whom Abraham educated toward Misva observance. Rashi proceeds to show that the root “H.N.Ch.” means “initiation,” preparing something for its purpose, and is thus used in reference to education. One of the proofs which Rashi brings is the expression “Hanukat Ha’mizbe’ah” – “the dedication of the altar,” the formal process whereby the altar is consecrated for its lofty purpose. The holiday of Hanukah is so named because it celebrates the rededication of the altar of the Bet Ha’mikdash after it was captured from the Greeks. Rashi makes mention of “Hanukat Ha’mizbe’ah” in this context as a subtle reference to the story of the Hashmonaim’s defeat of the Greeks, which has its roots in Abraham’s defeat of the four kings.
Furthermore, the Torah tells that Abraham pursued the four kings until a point north of the city of Damascus (14:15). The Syrian-Greeks against whom the Hashmonaim fought were centered in Antioch, an area north of Damascus, and thus this detail, too, alludes to the story of the Hashmonaim. Abraham’s heroism and self-sacrifice in defending his faith is what laid the groundwork for the heroism of his righteous descendants, the Hashmonaim, who similarly took arms to defend their religion against those who sought to destroy it.