The miracle of a child.

There's a mystery at the heart of Jewish existence,

engraved into the first syllables of our recorded time.

The first words of God to Abraham were go out from your land,

your birthplace, and your father's house, and I will make you a great nation.

In the next chapter, there's another promise. I will make your children like the dust of the

earth so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, so shall your offspring be counted.

Two chapters later comes a third. God took him outside and said, look at the heavens and count the

stars if indeed you can count them. Then he said to him, so shall your children be. And finally the

fourth, your name will be Abraham for I have made you the father of many nations. Four escalating promises. Abraham would be the father of a great

nation as many as the dust of the earth and the stars of the sky. It would be the father not of

one nation, but of many. What, though, was the reality? Early in the story, we read that Abraham

was very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

He had everything except one thing.

A child.

Then God appeared to Abraham and said, your reward will be very great.

Until now, Abraham had been silent.

Now something within him broke.

And he asked, oh Lord God, what will you give me if I remain childless?

The first recorded words of Abraham to God are a plea for there to be future generations.

The first Jew feared he would be the last.

Then a child was born. Sarah gave Abraham her

...