Rabbi Chaim Richman and Jim Long explore Abraham’s divine compassion, hidden righteous souls, and why spiritual growth often brings tougher tests.
This week’s episode of the Jerusalem Lights Podcast shines a spiritual beacon across the ages, as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Jim Long delve deep into the timeless lessons of Abraham — the first patriarch and father of faith.
The hosts celebrate Abraham’s astonishing compassion for all of God’s creations, including his fervent prayers that even the wicked city of Sodom might be spared for the sake of a few righteous individuals. In a world often hardened by division and hate, Abraham’s example reminds listeners that true greatness lies in mercy, empathy, and a heart open to all of Hashem’s children.
The Hidden Righteous Who Sustain the World
Richman and Long weave in the mystical Jewish tradition of the 36 hidden righteous individuals (Lamed-Vav Tzadikim) — souls so pure that their silent merit sustains the entire world. These concealed servants of God, unknown to all but the Divine, reflect Abraham’s own quiet mission: to bring light, compassion, and balance to creation without recognition or reward.
The Tests That Refine the Soul
The hosts then confront a question as ancient as faith itself:
Why do the tests grow harder the closer one draws to God?
Their answer is deeply rooted in Jewish wisdom — that life’s trials are not punishments, but refinements of the soul, opportunities to rise higher, to shed ego, and to uncover the divine spark within. As Rabbi Richman explains, “Hashem does not test to break us, but to reveal us — to bring out the hidden righteousness within.”
Faith, Compassion, and Courage — The Abrahamic Legacy
Through their warm and insightful dialogue, Richman and Long remind listeners that Abraham’s legacy is not history — it is living spiritual DNA that flows through every act of kindness, prayer, and perseverance of the Jewish people today.
At a time when the world struggles with cruelty and moral confusion, Jerusalem Lights rekindles the eternal truth: that mercy and faith remain the pillars upon which the world stands — upheld by the few righteous who walk unseen among us.
