"G‑d said: Can I conceal what I am doing from Abraham? And Abraham will be a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth will be blessed from him." (Gen. 18:17)

You cannot seal yourselves off from the outside world...

When G‑d decides to destroy Sodom, he first tells Abraham. This Divine revelation is of great significance to both Abraham and his descendants, the Nation of Israel. You cannot seal yourselves off from the outside world, G‑d indicates to Abraham. Everything that happens in the world depends upon Abraham. He is its source of blessing. When the world is not blessed and parts of it are corrupt, it is Abraham's problem and responsibility. He is the father of the nation whose destiny it is to perfect the world.

As the Torah portion continues, we see the opposite phenomenon: Abraham is forced to expel his son, Ishmael, from his home. In this case, Abraham must shut himself off from the world in order to protect the son who will inherit his spiritual legacy. G‑d instructs him to expel Ishmael, "because in Isaac will your seed be called."

The delicate balance between separatism on the one hand and responsibility for the entire world on the other is something we, as a sovereign nation in our Land, will have to learn to nurture.

The fortitude to expel whoever threatens our physical and spiritual integrity while simultaneously taking responsibility to fight for universal justice is the secret of Abraham. He was the father of a multitude of nations, and concurrently the father of the Jewish Nation. Our challenge is to follow in Abraham's footsteps: To be a unique, treasured nation unto G‑d while simultaneously being a light and guide unto the nations.

[From “The Jewish Leadership Weekly Newsletter,” Issue 7105 (//jewishisrael.org);
Michael Fuah was a 2013 candidate for the chairmanship of the Likud Central Committee.]