Parshat Lech Lecha---2005-11-09

Parashat Lech Lecha has enough drama and action in it to fill an epic poem or a country music song. But, aside from being really interesting to read, this week’s Torah portion contains some pretty deep ideas.

Lech Lecha is the story of how Abram is asked to leave his home, the house where he was born. He travels around where he encounters various trials. There is a famine in Canaan, so he goes to Egypt, where the Pharaoh abducts his wife, and eventually lets her go. Abram becomes involved in a war between four kings when his beloved nephew is taken prisoner. He shows outstanding courage in battle, and shuns honor when one of the kings tries to thank him. G-d makes a covenant with Abram, but warns him that his offspring will spend many years in Egypt before entering the land of Israel, foreshadowing the exile to and exodus from Egypt. G-d changes Abram and Sarai’s names to Abraham and Sarah to give them a new destiny. He gives Abraham the test of circumcision, and promises Sarah a baby.

This parasha is filled with excitement and stories, but the key theme in the portion is trials. Abraham and therefore his family go through a lot in order to prove themselves to G-d, and to earn the covenant. Bad things happen and G-d toys with Abraham’s mind and body, but Abraham’s faith never falters. He believes in G-d, and earns the right to be the father or a great nation. The message that this conveys to us is that if you have faith in G-d even through bad times, you will be rewarded. Applied to modern life, this means that even though bad things happen in the world, like terror and disease, G-d is still present, and he will eventually pull through. It is the difficult times that solidify our faith in G-d. These are crucial times to maintain your faith, as difficult as it may seem. Sometimes, you just need to have faith, like Abraham.

Shabbat Shalom!
Ariel Siegel
Chazak REC VP