Rabbi Dr. Seth Farber
“אחר הדברים האלה— After these things.” In Parshat Vayera, this phrase appears both immediately prior to the Akeida – the binding of Isaac – and immediately following it, introducing a list of descendants belonging to Abraham’s brother, Nachor. Structurally, this list brings literary closure to Abraham’s journey. Chapter 12 begins with the command lech lecha, asking Abraham to cut himself off from his past, while chapter 22 uses that exact phrase to ask him to surrender his future. Just as Nachor’s family is mentioned right before the first command, they reappear immediately after the second.
Yet classical commentators look beyond literary symmetry to understand what this news meant to an exhausted Abraham in the aftermath of crisis.
According to Rashi (citing Bereshit Rabbah), Abraham returned from Mount Moriah in a state of deep reflection and second-guessing. He agonized over what might have been; had Isaac been slain, he would have died without a future. G-d responds directly to his anxiety with the news that Rebecca was just born, reassuring Abraham that despite the trauma, his family’s spiritual future was guaranteed. Following trauma we often need reassurance, and this model is provided by the Torah.
In HaEmek Davar, the Netziv offers a different perspective on why Abraham only learned of his brother now. Abraham was a man who risked his life for relatives like Lot, so why had he neglected Nachor for so long? The Netziv explains that the original command of lech lecha required Abraham to completely disengage from his father’s house. Only after achieving the ultimate spiritual height at the Akeida was he secure enough in his divine devotion to seek out his family once more. In this view, performing G-d's mission required a temporary setting aside of personal values, but the trauma did not erase Abraham's humanity – it amplified his desire to reconnect. Following a trauma, we have the capacity to reengage.
Finally, Rabbi Soloveitchik zt”l suggested a starker reading. Learning that Nachor had built a flourishing tribe of twelve sons without facing trials, exiles, or sacrifice was actually part of Abraham’s ongoing trials. He had to confront the reality that his brother had lived an easy, uncomplicated life. What makes Abraham’s response so remarkable is that seeing others take a simpler path did not deter him. He took full ownership of his mission, standing by his commitment to perpetuate his values regardless of the cost.
Ultimately, achar hadevarim haeleh reminds us that covenantal living sometimes means enduring difficult moments, even while watching others live without such burdens. May we find the strength in these less-than-simple times to be grounded in the power of our commitments and the value of our choices.
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