From Likutei Sichos vol. 1
Q. What was the first of the 10 test of Avraham?
A. Ur Kasdim
Q What is the next test the Torah does discuss at length?
A. Lech Lecha
Q. Why is the Torah ambiguous with the test of Ur Kasdim and starts with Lech Lecha?
A. Because the lesson from Lech Lecha is important for all of us and this is something we all go through.
Q. Avraham was happy with Yishmael, why did Hashem give him Yitzchak?
A. Yitzchak’s birth was miraculous and his Bris was at 8 days old. This points to acceptance of Hashem beyond the intellect.
Q. How is it that Avraham gave over the power of commitment to Hahsem with self-sacrifise even to converts?
A. Ordinary Jews refer to all three Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov as their forefather but converts only refer to Avraham as their father.
From Likutei Sichos vol. 3
Q. Why did Avraham wait with Bris Milah until he was instructed by Hahsem?
A. Bris Milah impacts the physical body as the effect of mitzvos after מתן תורה, therefore they needed the extra power which comes with a commandment from Hashem.
From Likutei Sichos vol. 5
Q. The name of the פרשה is לך which means going forward, yet the פרשה contains the story of אברהם’s descent to מצרים?
A. The descent was only temporary and was part of the spring board for the elevations that followed.
Q. Can mistakes a person makes by violating the commandments can that be considered an elevation?
A. Yes, those mistakes are also part of the plan of ה'.
Q. According to the רמב"ם who was the first one that gave מעשר?
A. Yitzchak.
Q. In our פרשה we find that אברהם gave מעשר?
A. This was a unique מעשר from the spoils of war. By Yitzchak the משער was from everything.
From Likutei Sichos vol. 10
Q. The כהנים bless the בני ישראל with ברכת כהנים but who blesses the כהנים?
A. ר' ישמעאל says from the פסוק by ברכת כהנים that states ואני אברכם means I, Hashem will bless them the כהנים. רבי עקיבא says that ואני אברכם means that I Hashem will bless the בני ישראל i.e. that Hashem agrees with the כהנים who blessed the בני ישראל and the blessings for the כהנים is from ואברכה מברכיך that those who bless the בני ישראל Hashem will bless.
Q. Why do we say at a bris להכניסו בבריתו של אברהם אבינו?
A. Because as descendants of אברהם when we do a ברית this is essentially the continuation of the ברית of אברהם.
Q. Why do we emphasize the covenant with אברהם אבינו would it not be better to say the covenant with Hashem?
A. The specialty of the ברית is that it connects the physical body with Hashem and אברהם was the first to do it, it is always more difficult being the first. A baby getting a bris is also like the first since he is only 8 days old and the baby like אברהם is being brought into the covenant through his physical body that is why we mention בריתו של אברהם אבינו.
From Likutei Sichos vol. 15
How many generations was there from אדם הראשון until נח and How many generations were there from נח until אברהם?
A. 10.
Q. What was the difference between these two sets of generations?
A. The first set were totally evil and could not be fixed so the מבול came and they were destroyed but the second set were evil but אברהם was able to fix them, that is why eventually אברהם took their reward.
Q. We have the Torah so what is the purpose of the Torah relating the story of our אבות?
A. Before we can properly observe תורה ומצוות we need to learn and understand the story of the אבות.
Q. In the end of the portion of בראשית it talks about נח. In the end of נח it talks about אברהם. Why did the Torah not wait to talk about נח until the portion of נח and why did the Torah not wait to talk about אברהם until פרשת לך לך?
A.