Let's dive in.

According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, when Abraham reached the ripe old age of twenty, his father Terah, an idol maker, fell ill. Now, Terah needed some cash, so he asked his sons, Haran and Abraham, to sell a couple of his idols. Haran dutifully followed orders. But Abraham? Well, he had a different approach.

Whenever someone approached Abraham to buy an idol, he'd quote a high price – say, three manehs (an ancient unit of currency). Then he'd ask the prospective buyer, "How old are you?" If the person replied, "Thirty years old," Abraham would retort, "You're thirty years old, and you'd worship an idol I made today?" Unsurprisingly, the customer would usually walk away.

He'd even drag the idols through the streets, faces down, yelling, "Who'll buy an idol that profits neither itself nor the buyer? It has a mouth but doesn't speak, eyes but doesn't see, feet but doesn't walk, ears but doesn't hear!" Imagine seeing that spectacle!

Then, one day, an old woman approached him, eager to buy a large, impressive idol to worship. Abraham, never one to miss an opportunity for a teachable moment, questioned her: "What happened to the big idol you bought from my brother Haran?" The woman lamented that thieves had stolen it while she was at the bath.

Abraham pounced: "How can you worship an idol that can't even save itself from thieves? How can it save you from misfortune? If it's a god, why didn't it defend itself?" He was really laying it on thick, wasn't he?

The old woman, now genuinely confused, asked, "If what you say is true, whom should I serve?" And here it is, the million-dollar question! Abraham replied, "Serve the God of all gods, the Lord of lords, who created heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is within them!" He even took a shot at Nimrod, saying "Who is Nimrod, the dog, who calleth himself a god, that worship be offered unto him?"

Remarkably, the old woman got it. She became a zealous convert, smashing her recovered idol and proclaiming in the streets, "Whoever wants to save their soul from destruction and prosper, let them serve the God of Abraham!" According to Ginzberg, she converted many to the true belief.

This, naturally, didn't sit well with King Nimrod. He summoned the old woman and rebuked her for worshipping anyone but him. But she stood her ground, accusing Nimrod of denying the One True God. Her courage cost her her life.

But the seed had been planted. Nimrod, terrified by Abraham's growing influence, tried to intimidate him with a grand festival showcasing his wealth and power. He even invited Abraham through Terah, hoping to impress him. Abraham refused to attend.

Instead, he took care of his father's and the king's idols while everyone was at the festival. And here's where it gets really interesting. While repeating the words, "The Eternal He is God, the Eternal He is God!" Abraham struck the king's idols from their thrones, and began to belabor them with an axe! He hacked off feet, beheaded others, and crushed eyes. He left the axe in the hand of the largest idol, a silent accusation.

When Nimrod returned and saw the carnage, he demanded to know who was responsible. Abraham, with a straight face, replied, "I didn't do it! The largest idol shattered the rest. See? He still has the axe!" Then, with a touch of sarcasm, he added, "If you don't believe me, ask him!"

Can you imagine the sheer audacity?

This story, found in Legends of the Jews, based on earlier sources like Midrash Rabbah and the Zohar, isn't just a funny anecdote. It's a powerful illustration of Abraham's unwavering conviction, his courage in the face of authority, and his willingness to challenge the status quo. It shows us that even the most deeply ingrained beliefs can be questioned, and that truth, however uncomfortable, is worth fighting for. It makes you wonder, what idols are we clinging to that need to be challenged?