בס”ד
In this week’s Torah reading we find Avraham being commanded to leave this land, the place where he was born and the house of his father. How can we apply this story to our personal growth as human beings?
This week’s Torah portion is Lech Lecha, which literally means “Go to you,” where G-d tells Abraham to leave his homeland, the place of his birth, and his father’s house in order to go to a land that G-d will show him, which turns out to be the land of Canaan. G-d promises Abraham that he will receive great blessings, which he will then share with others so that everyone will be blessed by his name and his family. This marks the beginning of Abraham’s journey.
The Torah states that Abraham was 75 years old when he started this journey. However, we know that his life didn’t truly begin at 75. Our sages tell us that many significant events happened earlier in Abraham’s life—stories of his childhood, for instance, when he broke his father’s idols and was cast into a fiery furnace but was miraculously saved. But why doesn’t the Torah mention these stories? Why does it begin with Abraham’s journey at 75, while the stories of his youth are only found in the Oral Torah?
One explanation is as follows: while Abraham did great things from a young age, sacrificing his life for his beliefs and spreading the knowledge of G-d, his journey was far from over. Some sages debate at what age Abraham first discovered G-d—whether he was three, forty, or forty-eight—yet regardless of the age, Abraham worked on himself, coming to understand G-d through effort and study. He shared this understanding widely, even teaching pagans who had no knowledge of G-d. His work was so impactful that G-d called Abraham “a partner in creation.”
Yet, at 75, G-d tells Abraham to leave his land, his birthplace, and his father’s house to go to a new place. This directive holds a profound lesson: no matter how much we have achieved, if we are still alive, there is more that G-d expects from us. Abraham could have thought, “I’ve done everything. G-d calls me His partner. What more can I do?” Yet G-d showed him that there was always a new level to reach.
This command is interesting in its order. G-d tells Abraham to leave his land, then his birthplace, and then his father’s house. Logically, one would expect the order to be reversed: first you leave your father’s house, then your birthplace, and finally, your land. This reversal is meaningful. In Hebrew, the word for “land” (aretz) is connected to the word for “will” (ratzon). G-d is instructing Abraham to leave his own will, or his own desires and understandings of what he thinks G-d wants.
Then, G-d tells Abraham to leave the place of his birth. In Kabbalistic teachings, birth symbolizes intellect, as intellect gives rise to emotions, similar to how birth brings new life. By saying this, G-d is telling Abraham to move beyond his own intellect and understanding.
Finally, G-d tells him to leave his father’s house, representing his emotions, which are born from his intellect. G-d is challenging Abraham to go beyond his own will, intellect, and emotions to reach the Divine will, which G-d will reveal to him.
The deeper lesson here is that even if we have achieved great things, we are called to constantly grow and elevate ourselves. We must go beyond our own will, intellect, and emotions and seek the true will of G-d.
A practical application of this idea: today, people watch classes and listen to podcasts, often accepting ideas just because they heard them from someone who looks the part. But we are cautioned to be mindful of this. A rabbi may have his own interpretations based on his emotions, intellect, or will, but that doesn’t necessarily make it true. It’s essential to go back to the sources and seek the authentic teachings of G-d’s will.
Parshat Talk from Rabbi Tuvia Serber
The above is a representation of the spoken text converted to written text.
© Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further.
Our blogs may contain text/quotes/references/links that include copyright material of Mechon-Mamre.org, Aish.com, Sefaria.org, Chabad.org, and/or AskNoah.org, which we use in accordance with their policies.
