Parshas Lech Lecha: Go Forth
Chaya Mushka and Nechama Krimmer
This week’s parsha begins with Hashem commanding Avraham to לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ . " Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you" (Bereishis, 12:1).
Hashem's command to "lech lecha" can be interpreted in several ways. The simple meaning of "lech lecha" is "you should go" or "go forth," as translated above.
The Rebbe Rashab, the 5th Rebbe of Lubavitch, explains that this command to "go forth" began the process of elevating the sparks of G‑dliness that exist within the physical world. Wherever a person finds himself, be it a lowly or holy place, Hashem has led his feet to that exact spot to elevate the sparks within.
"Lech lecha'' can also mean "Go, for you". Using this expression, Hashem reassures Avraham that this mysterious adventure he is being sent on is ultimately for his benefit and growth.
Avraham was born into a world of avoda zara, the worship of foreign gods. The nations of the world prayed to clay sculptures and wooden idols, as well as the sun and other heavenly bodies. Avraham's father, Terach, not only worshiped idols, but also made a living selling them.
According to the Midrash, at the tender age of three, young Avraham understood that there had to be something greater than the clay sculptures his father sold, which could neither act nor speak.
One day Avraham went to his father's shop with an ax and destroyed all of the idols except for the largest one. Avraham then put the ax in the hand of the one upright idol. When Terach came home, he immediately suspected Avraham. Avraham was known to persuade customers to stop buying his father's idols as they were worthless dirt.
When confronted by Terach, Avraham told his father that he had watched the standing idol destroy all the other idols in a violent rage.
Terach told Avraham that was impossible as idols can't move on their own. Through this startling admission, Terach was forced to acknowledge that the idols he worshiped were powerless.
Wandering alone, Avraham drew his gaze across the land and wondered who created the sun and the moon, the rivers and the mountains? Avraham recognized that a single G‑d exists who creates and sustains the heavens and the earth and all within it. The birth of monotheism.
The word Torah is derived from the word "hora’ah" or lesson. This is an indication that the stories told of the lives and struggles of our forefathers and foremothers hold lessons for each of us.
Since Avraham acknowledged the existence of Hashem, Hashem, in turn, acknowledged Avraham. To further their bond, Hashem commanded Avraham to leave his previous life and come to a place that only Hashem could reveal to him.
Avraham's sacred journey, his vision quest, represents the process of growth and maturity we all experience.
As a child, Avraham rejected the beliefs and values his parents and community had indoctrinated him into. He smashed the beliefs of his countrymen in the same way he smashed the idols in his father's house.
Avraham's journey is a lesson for all of us. We are influenced by everyone around us: our parents, our families, our homes, our teachers, our schools, our jobs, our communities, and our friends. These relationships influence our core beliefs and values.
When we "go forth" from our comfort zones, having newer, more poignant experiences, as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual growth, we are forced to reevaluate our beliefs and values. This process continues throughout our lives.
With each stage of growth, we have the potential to seek out the G‑dliness hidden within our experiences, in other people, and in ourselves. This draws us closer to Hashem and Hashem closer to us.
Like Avraham, may we always have the power to overcome our limitations and to leap over our boundaries like a gazelle in order for us to deepen our relationship with Hashem.
