The Foundation of the Entire Torah

by Rabbi Yisroel Bronstein

"He trusted in Hashem, and He considered this for him as an act of righteousness" [Lech Lecha 15:6]

Why, asked the Chofetz Chaim, was Avraham's trust in Hashem considered "righteousness" - as though it was something above and beyond what was demanded of him?  After all, Avraham fulfilled every commandment in the Torah; what was so unique about his trust in Hashem?

We see from here, answered the Chofetz Chaim, that trust in Hashem is more than just another mitzvah - rather, it is the foundation of the entire Torah.

To what can this be compared?  To a man drowning in the sea who suddenly sees a tree extending from the shore.  Which part of the tree will he attempt to grab? Not the branches, for they can easily be broken; rather, he grabs hold of the roots.

So too, concluded the Chofetz Chaim, is trust in Hashem.  Trust in Hashem is comparable to the sturdy roots of a tree, which serve as a foundation and a base for the entire tree.