On several occasions in Parashat Lekh-Lekha we read of God's promise to produce a great, populous nation from Avraham. After Avraham's return from Egypt and separation from his nephew, Lot, God promises to make his offspring "like the dust of the earth" (13:16). Later, in establishing the berit bein ha-betarim covenant with Avraham, God informs the patriarch that his offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the heavens (15:5).
The Midrash (Midrash Aggada, Parashat Vayetze, cited in Torah Sheleima) makes the following comment in revealing the underlying symbolism of these two comparisons: "When Israel fulfill the Almighty's will, they are likened to the stars, upon whom no hand can exert control… [When they are] sinful, [they are] like the dust of the earth, upon which everybody treads." Whether Benei Yisrael are comparable to the stars or the dust depends entirely upon their conduct. When they faithfully observe God's commands, than they rise as high as the stars where they are protected from harm; but if they disobey, they are "treaded upon" like the earth itself.
The obvious question arises, why, according to this Midrashic passage, is the promise "I shall make your offspring like the earth of the land" considered a blessing to Avraham? If God speaks here of Am Yisrael's persecution at the hands of enemy nations as punishment for their disloyalty, then this verse should be seen as a warning, rather than a promise of blessing. Yet, the context clearly implies that God makes a favorable promise to Avraham: "Lift, please, your eyes and see…for all the land that you see I shall give to you and your offspring, forever. And I shall make your offspring like the dust of the earth…"
Rav Yehuda Leib Ginsburg, in his Yalkut Yehuda (Denver, 1936), suggests that a closer examination of this comparison indeed reveals a most profound blessing and promise. While it is true that people "tread upon" earth and regard it as something of little value and importance, latent within the earth is, of course, enormous potential. When given seeds and water, the earth can produce life-sustaining food in remarkable quantities. When the Midrash speaks of a comparison between the earth and Benei Yisrael in their state of rebellion, it alludes to this hidden quality. God here promises Avraham that even when his offspring disobey and must be subject to exile and persecution, when they are "treaded upon" by the enemy peoples, they will still retain their potential for greatness. There may be times in the nation's history when it will sink as low as the earth, but, like the earth, it will always have the capacity for extraordinary achievement, creativity and production. No matter how far Am Yisrael fall, God's promise to Avraham guarantees that their potential will never be lost, and that they will always be capable of growing and accomplishing in all areas of life.