Josef Goldberg noted:
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The Ravad ad locum relies on the Midrash stating that Avraham was three years old. Since three-year olds cannot embark on a philosophical quest, God must have revealed himself to Avraham the toddler. Moshe Halbertal advances this distinction between the two midrashim.
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Just as 3 year olds don't embark on philosophical quests, they also don't usually acheive revelation, nor have they really done anything substantial to be deserving of revelation.
Does this suggestion therefore assume that the revelation acheived by Avraham was irrespective of behavior on Avraham's part (Maharal)? A suggestion which I find difficult to digest.
In the my vbm shiur on parashat Noah, I made the following suggestion:
We can understand why the age of three is suggested. Accordingly, Avraham our forefather was never a pagan; even as a young child, he realized the folly of idol worship. The age of three reflects the earliest point at which a child begins to think about the world around him. The claim that Avram began to believe in one God at the age of three is a claim that Avram was always perfect in his faith.
The opinion that Avram did not come around to belief in Hashem until he was forty-eight suggests that Avram grappled and struggled with the issue of paganism. It was not a simple and obvious conclusion. Avram spent days debating the issue with others and with himself. He spent sleepless nights gazing at the stars, wondering how far the heavens stretch and how they came into existence. It wasn’t until he reached manhood that Avram finally concluded that there was only one Creator who created Heaven and earth.
bvracha,
R. Yair Kahn
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2015 09:11AM by mlb.
