Avraham's Mission

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Lech Lecha by Reuven Kirshner

"וַיֹאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ"  בְּרֵאשִׁית י''ב:א'

“And God said to Avram: ‘go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”  Bereshis 12:1

Adam failed to listen to Hashem and was banished from Gan Eden. Noach was a tzaddik but failed to help other people find Hashem. He was saved due to his righteousness, but the world was not. The world was reborn, but Noach’s piety didn’t last and he became an אִישׁ אֲדָמָה, focusing on his vineyards more than his connection to Hashem. Most people in those 20 or so generations were mentioned to have lived and died without accomplishing anything worth noting, until Avraham.

Chazal fill in some of the events in Avraham’s life, including breaking his father’s idols and he was forced into a fiery furnace by Nimrod while denying the divine power of the idols and to disprove Nimrod’s claim of the divine power of fire. Avraham was a man of action, charismatic and unafraid to find the true God. He was ridiculed and persecuted for his stance. Avraham married Sarah but they were unable to have children. Why, then, was “lech lecha”, which Rashi explains means that it will be “for your own benefit” to follow Hashem to a new land, with the promise of becoming a great nation and getting great prestige, considered a test? To add to this question, Avraham was already not living in his birthplace because his father Terach had already left Ur Kasdim to go to Canaan!

Perhaps “lech lecha” is challenging Avraham to leap into the unknown path of Hashem of his own volition without feeling guilt or obligation. Perhaps it is guiding him to forge his own path to extend his connection with Hashem beyond himself and his family.

According to Rabbi Shamshon Raphael Hirsch, “lecha” means “going on your own”. The test of Avraham was having the courage and strength to be an individual. To fight the tendency of a centralization over personal work, as evident in the slogan “let us make a name for ourselves” in the case of the tower of Bavel. Judaism appreciates attaching to the community but discourages only being as good as another. Avraham embraces the courage to be a minority, while always striving to be better. This obstinacy has allowed the Jewish People to continue surviving throughout time, especially when they felt isolated from the world.

Sharing this Torah from Israel during this tragic war, I can attest to the individual courage of our soldiers and how their personal strength is compounded with the seemingly endless acts of chessed, learning, and tefillah by individuals, giving the spiritual backing for our fight. Each person feels an individual responsibility to help in whatever way he/she can. This is the “Great Nation” promised to Avraham. Together we will succeed.

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Reuven Kirshner (FYHS 2008) learned in Yeshivat Hakotel, served in the IDF, and is now working in the Israeli tech sector. He currently lives with his family in Carmei Gat, where he was the founding president of the Carmei Zion Shul and serves as a Board member of the JUF partnership between Chicago and the Kiryat Gat area. He is appreciative for the opportunity to share Torah with the institution which gave him so much in terms of learning and friendships.