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Parshat Lech Lecha
2004
The Journey Begins...
Among the many "greatest hits" of the Torah, this weekly portion is certainly worthy of its fame and the melodies put to its opening lines. Lech Lecha begins Jewish history as Avram heeds the divine call and travels "to the land that I will show you." Upon arrival in Canaan/Israel, a famine sends our hero south to Egypt, where an attempt to pass Sarai, his beloved wife, off as his sister results in their expulsion. Upon returning to Israel, Avram's nephew Lot heads down to the Jordan River Valley while Avram resides under the oaks. Lot is kidnapped and Avram pursues him halfway across today's Middle East until he is victorious. God speaks to Avram, who falls into a trance and sees a vision at the Covenant Between the Animal Pieces. Ishmael, son of Avram and Sarai's handmaid, Hagar, is born. God commands that Avram's entire household is circumcised and also instructs them to change their names to Avraham (Father of Many) and Sarah (Princess).
This action-packed portion raises hundreds of questions. Who is this Avram who lives for 75 years before God calls to him and then he follows? What is the meaning of the delightfully confusing phrase Lech Lecha, meaning "Go, go to yourself"? If Abraham is the father of our faith, the first Jew, who is this "Malchitzedek, King of Salem (Jerusalem), Priest to God, The Most High" who shows up to celebrate Lot's rescue? What is the meaning of this bizarre pact involving animals cut in half?
The rabbinic explanations and legends fill in the details that the Torah leaves out. Avram, we learn, was a smasher of the inventory in his father's idol shop. As the Torah is the story of humanity's search for God and God's search for righteous humanity, Avram is a seeker who was famed for his kindness and hospitality. Avram was chosen to be the father of our people not only because God spoke to him, but because he listened and followed the instruction.
Go, go to you. Go, go for yourself. With these words the continuing journey of Jewish history begins. Rashi explains this phrase to mean that the journey is for Avram's benefit. Travel often prevents one from achieving fame, wealth and a large family; this leap of faith will result in all three. Modern commentaries note that the first step of such a spiritual journey is to go inward and become who one is meant to be.
The Talmud (Nedarim 32b) teaches that Malchitzedek is Shem, Noah's eldest son and the ancestor of Abraham! According to the tradition, Shem was given the land of Israel as an inheritance, but Canaan, Shem's nephew, claimed it as his own instead. Abraham was moving to a new land and also reclaiming his ancestral portion at the same time. The question of how Abraham could live at the same time as his ancestor from nine generations before him is not fully resolved.
The pact and vision between the pieces remains one of the most mysterious passages in the Chumash. The simple meaning of this section is passing between severed animal parts constituted the accepted ancient method of making a covenant. This trance and vision of a smoky furnace and torch of fire come with God's promise. Avram not only receives a prophecy concerning his descendants, but he also discovers that God was with him, even before he knew God. In last week's portion we read that Avram's father took his family from Ur Kasdim to go to Canaan and settled in Haran. At the pact of the pieces God declares: "I am God who brought you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land to inherit it" (Bereshit 15:7). Avram learns that God is his shield, and these words now form the first blessing of the Amidah. God is with us as our protector even when we do not know it.
Prepared by Rabbi Shalom Bochner, Executive Director, Santa Cruz Hillel.
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Lech Lecha at MyJewishLearning.com.
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