Originally, our ancestors worshipped idols, but now the Ever-Present has brought us to God's service, as it is said, “Then Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus said Adonai, the God of Israel: In olden times your ancestors dwelt on the other side of the river – Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor – and they served other gods. But I took your ancestor – Abraham – from the other side of the river and led him through the entire land of Canaan and multiplied his offspring and I gave him Isaac. And I gave Isaac Jacob and Esau and I gave Esau the hill country of Seir as a possession – and Jacob and his children went down to Egypt’” (Joshua 24:2-4). After explaining the Midrash of the four children, the Maggid continues with the Passover narrative. It begins with shame, “Originally our ancestors worshipped idols,” in order to conclude with praise, “And the Ever-Present brought us to God’s service,” thus concluding with this act of grace in which we were brought close to God. Since this is the basis upon which everything depends and the reason for all of God’s acts benevolence, the Maggid brings a proof text from the book of Joshua which mentions three benevolent acts which the Holy One performed for our ancestors. They are: (1) Abraham did not have an inheritance or a land of his own; (2) his family did not believe in God; (3) he had no offspring. He was lacking in these three things until God fulfilled all of them. This is what the verse from Joshua states: “In olden times your ancestors dwelt on the other side of the river,” that is, the land of Canaan which God gave Abraham was not his ancestral inheritance because his forefathers came from the other side of the river. The descendants of Shem, son of Noah, dwelled on the other side of the Jordan River. It is for this reason that the verse mentions Terah, Abraham’s father. It was from Abraham that a great multitude came.⁴⁷ This passage makes us aware that our forefather, Abraham, did not have an inheritance. The passage then mentions the second thing which Abraham’s family lacked: faith in God. Scripture states, “They served other gods.” This is a reference to Terah and Nachor. Those who preceded them were righteous but Terah and Nachor were idolaters. The reason that the passage mentions Abraham but not his sons, as it does for Jacob is because at first, Abraham was childless.

footnotes: ⁴⁷ There was a break between Abraham and his father. He became the father of a new line separate from his father who was a descendant of Shem. Abraham became known, as his name suggests, as a father of a multitude of nations.

God showed Abraham compassion by promising him a land, a faith, and offspring. First it states that it brought him to faith, stating, “the Ever-Present has brought us to God's service,” since this was the greatest gift which God gave Abraham. Regarding Abraham, it states: “I took your father, Abraham.” (Josh. 24:2-4) Even though he had other brothers, God chose Abraham and abandoned Nachor. Bringing Abraham close meant that God chose Abraham and brought him to His service. Without a doubt true, this is true! A person cannot come close to God except if God brings him close to His service, as the psalmist stated: “Happy is the man whom You chose and bring near that he may dwell in Your courts.” (Psalm 65:5) And as the prophet stated, “I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach me.” (Jer. 30:21)

The passage in Joshua mentions a second gift: the land of Canaan. “I led him through the entire land of Canaan.” God brought him to the land and gave it to him as an un-revocable trust, as is stated: “Arise and walk through the land in its length and in its breadth; for I will give it to you.” (Gen. 13:17)

The passage mentions a third act of hesed, benevolence by God: even though Abraham and Sarah were barren, God gave offspring to them. He gave to Abraham offspring and increased Abraham’s children miraculously in a short period of time, as is explained in the Haggadah. The passage states “I increased his seed,” and the verse also states, “And I gave him Isaac. “I increased his seed,” refers to Ishmael, and the children of Keturah. From them came Ishmaelites, as well as the children of Dedan, Asshur, Letush and Lium and the other peoples who settled in the area. But they were spiritually impaired,⁴⁸,” literally with a shell or a husk. This is a Kabbalistic word used to describe an outer layer of evil or impurity. Only Isaac was infused inside and out with holiness. therefore the passage mentions separately what was most essential, “I gave him Isaac.” God chose him from among all the brothers as is stated, “For in Isaac shall our seed be called.” (Gen. 21:12) Further the passage states that just as Terach had two sons (Abraham and Nachor) and yet God chose one and rejected the other, so too Abraham had many children and yet God chose Isaac and rejected others. This was the case with Isaac as well. Isaac and Rebecca were both barren and yet God miraculously gave them Jacob and Esau. Even though they were brothers, God chose Jacob and rejected Esau, as the prophet stated, “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother, says the Lord; yet I loved Jacob and I rejected Esau.” (Mal.1:2-3)

footnotes: ⁴⁸ The Hebrew describes the other children as all be B’kelipah

Thus even though both were the offspring of Abraham and Isaac, both did not merit to be called to fulfill the promise to their father. Instead God gave Esau Mount Seir as an inheritance in order to distance him from Jacob and so that Jacob and his sons could inherit the spiritual and material promise made to Abraham and Isaac, giving them the chosen land, more beautiful than all lands.