Yes, you heard right. Avodah, worship, is the secret ingredient to creation itself. That’s the claim made in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, and it's a pretty bold one, isn't it? Rabbi Isaac tells us that Abraham, after that earth-shattering ordeal on Mount Moriah, only made it back to his people because of his intention to worship. Remember the verse? "We will worship, and come again to you" (Genesis 22:5). That promise, that commitment to avodah, was his lifeline. It grounded him, it propelled him forward.
And it doesn't stop there. According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, even the Temple itself, the very heart of Jewish life, was brought into being through the power of worship. As Psalm 99:5 says, "Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship." It’s as if the act of turning towards something greater, of dedicating ourselves to the divine, is what allows the sacred space to manifest.
Now, shifting gears slightly, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer then turns to the story of Sarah's death and the introduction of Isaac and Rebecca. But before we even get there, we're given this fascinating little nugget: six individuals were known by name even before they were born.
Who were these chosen few? Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Solomon, Josiah, and, of course, King Messiah.
What does it mean to be named before existence? Is it a sign of destiny, of a preordained path? A whisper of purpose woven into the very fabric of reality? Perhaps. It certainly suggests a profound connection to the divine plan, a role to play in the unfolding drama of history.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What role does worship play in our own lives? Are we actively creating through our devotion, our intentions, our acts of service? And what names, what stories, are waiting to be written, even before we take our first breath?