Parashat Lech Lecha: How Does Avraham’s Journey Reflect the Spiritual Journey of Every Jew?

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Parashat Lech Lecha

How Does Avraham’s Journey Reflect the Spiritual Journey of Every Jew?
 

Why Did I Choose to Teach Parashat Lech Lecha for Numerous Years?

Parashat Lech Lecha is one of my favorites because it is about G-d charging Avraham and Sarah with the mission to follow Him to the Land of Israel. Avraham and Sarah’s journey toward the land, while forging their relationship with Hashem, parallels my own and the journeys of most of my students in so many ways. As Ramban teaches “The actions of the (fore)fathers are an indication to their children” (Ramban, Bereishit 12:6). Just as G-d told Avraham, “Lech lecha – go to yourself,” to your source, each of us is always trying to grow spiritually whether we are fully aware of it or not. Since we can all identify with leaving our country, birthplace, and our father’s house, I have chosen to teach Parashat Lech Lecha and continued to teach it for numerous years. For most students from abroad (including myself 45 years ago), it can be challenging to uproot ourselves from our well-known surroundings and replant ourselves in an unknown land with a foreign language and culture. Therefore, we are soothed by Rashi’s comforting words which resonate so well with our own inner truth: “Go for yourself - for your own benefit, for your own good” (Rashi, Bereishit 12:1). Going to the land of Israel, for a born Jew or a Jew to be, is a spiritual journey to the essence of our soul which is enrooted deeply in the Holy Land. Our connection to the Land of Israel is like the relationship of our soul to the body. Without the Land of Israel, we are a mere shadow of our inner potential, unable to truly express our Jewish Neshama. The Divine gift of the Promised Land to Avraham’s descendants has its own positive deeper purpose that transcends any rational explanations. When G-d told Avrahamלֶךְ לְךָ/Lech lecha, He didn’t reveal where to go, because his true destination was the internal journey to the essence of his soul. Avraham was to go to the place from where he was created, which is the Temple Mount. For humanity is created from the place of his atonement. The Temple below is connected to the Temple above. From this place, the souls descend and ascend on the ladder (Kli Yakar, Bereishit 12:1). In my own spiritual journey, at that very place, I discovered my soul! Any tourist visiting Israel ends up sooner or later at the Western Wall. I just stood there, in awe of the sense of sanctity that pervaded the place, without a word of prayer crystallizing on my lips. The intense light reflected by the ancient stones penetrated the empty space in my very heart and soul. As I entered the square in front of the Wall, I knew that I had finally come home.  

Eretz Yisrael the Land of Prophecy

ספר בראשית פרק יב פסוק א וַיֹּאמֶר הָשֵׁם אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ:

“Hashem said to Avram, ‘Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you’” (Bereishit 12:1).

Why didn’t Hashem reveal to Avraham which land he was leading him to? According to Rashi, by not revealing his destination at once, Avraham would value the land so much more. In addition, Hashem wanted to reward Avraham for fulfilling His commandment each step of the way. Another reason is that it’s impossible to perceive the meaning of the Land of Israel outside of the land. Many newcomers to Israel can testify to how they had to arrive here before understanding what Eretz Yisrael is all about. In this spirit, Kli Yakar explains that G-d did not want to show Avraham the original place of body and soul until he first received a Divine spirit from above. Since prophecy does not exist outside the land of Israel, whenever he was still outside the land of Israel, he did not understand the essence of the soul whose source is at the Temple Mount. He could not even understand the core of the formation of the physical from there. Only within the land of Israel – the place prepared for prophecy – could G-d show him the goodness of this holy place and how it is the place of the essence of humanity, for there is his home and the place from where both his body and soul emanate. Therefore, it is fitting to leave everything behind to go and cleave to this holy place, for from there we will be able to cleave to the Divine presence… (Kli Yakar, Bereishit 12:1).

“The Land that I Will Show You” – Our Dynamic Relationship with the Land of Israel

The phrase הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ – “…the land that I will show you,” can also be understood as “the land to which I will show you.” (The suffix ךָּ/cha – “you” can be read both as – ‘I will show the land to you,’ or as I will show you to the land.’ In the holy tongue, the root of the word to see or to show ר-א-ה/resh, alef, heh is also the root of the word רָאוּי/ra’ui – ‘seen,’ ‘fitting’ or ‘suitable.’ Thus, the meaning of the word אַרְאֶךָּ /areka – I will show you to her and her to you. For one without the other is not seen (fitting) to have the Shechina dwell successfully. When Hashem told Avraham to follow him to the land that he would show him, Hashem also alluded that Avraham and the Land of Israel are suitable for one another. Furthermore, they will be in a 2-way relationship. The land is not only seen by Avraham, Avraham is also seen by the land. (Based on Ohr Hachayim, Bereishit 12:1). Just as the painter sees the tree, the tree sees the painter. Hashem is saying, “I will show you to her, and I will show her to you.” In Israel, you will experience and feel as if the land looks back on you. Here we are not only a subject but also an object. Be’er Mayim explains the phrase, “In the land, I will reveal myself to you.” That is, only in the Holy Land does G-d reveal Himself to us. The land of Israel endows us with a new quality of seeing, it is the quality of mutual relationship with Hashem, the land, and with ourselves. Perhaps we can say that Israel is “The Land of Relationship.” 

“The Land of Israel is Acquired through Suffering” 

Why wasn’t Avraham born in the Land of Israel? Why did he have to undergo the extreme difficulties of uprooting himself from his familiar surroundings and enduring ten increasingly difficult tests? Avraham served as our predecessor by overcoming tests and challenges to deserve the Holy Land. “The Land of Israel is acquired through suffering” (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 5a). To reach Eretz Yisrael, the Jewish people demonstrated complete commitment to her. Throughout the exile, ascending to Eretz Yisrael was most difficult, with many dying en route. In most generations, the majority of those who succeeded in reaching the Land were forced to live in poverty. Establishing the State of Israel also involved great self-sacrifice and hardships, we have been forced to fight for her. Had Avraham not undergone his great challenges to earn the merit of the Land of Israel for his descendants, the Land would not and could not have become part of the heart of Jews, nor would we have been privileged to return to her and live within her. The first time we encounter the need to suffer to merit the Land of Israel is in chapter 15 of Bereishit. In the Covenant Between the Pieces, G-d promised the Land to Avraham’s descendants who would have to first go through oppression during the Egyptian exile (Bereishit 15:13). Still, today during our current war, the suffering continues as our brave, devoted, and holy soldiers are risking their lives fighting for our safety. 

The Holocaust Teaches us About the Value of the Land of Israel

During the Covenant Between the Pieces, an intense fright and a great darkness fell upon Avraham as he was shown a vision of a smoking furnace which is dreadfully reminiscent of the holocaust:

ספר בראשית פרק ט”ו פסוק יז וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וַעֲלָטָה הָיָה וְהִנֵּה תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה:

“Now it came to pass that the sun had set, and it was dark, and behold, a smoking furnace and a torch of fire passed between these pieces” (Bereishit 15:17).

Indeed, this pasuk includes a Torah code spelling out the word Hitler with an ELS (equal letter sequence of seven. It is not by chance that only three years following the end of the Holocaust, the land of Israel returned to Jewish hands after almost 2000 years of exile. Nobody can explain or justify the horrors of the Holocaust, but it still gives us a clue about the value of the Land of Israel, that we had to undergo suffering to this extent in order to merit the Land of Israel. Let us honor those who perished in the Holocaust by investing our energy and efforts in connecting to and building the Land of Israel! Nevertheless, we will never be able to realize the preciousness of the G-d-given land intertwined with the essence of our soul. 

The Connection between Character Development and the Final Boundaries of the Land 

Whenever I get up to the end of Bereishit Chapter 15 in my course in Parashat Lech Lecha, my students are always surprised to learn that according to the Torah, the final boundaries of the land of Israel will be so much greater than the part of the Land that we possess today. The difference between Israel today and Israel in the time of Mashiach is almost according to the same proportion as one single finger to a hand. Hashem promised Avraham not only the land of the seven Canaanite nations that King David had conquered, mentioned in Devarim 7:1, but also the land of three additional nations, the Kenites, the Kenisites, and the Kadmonites (See Bereishit 15:19-21). Ten nations are mentioned here, but He only gave them seven nations. The three first ones mentioned the Keni, Knizi, and Kadmoni are nicknames for Edom, Moav, and Amon their land will only be inherited in the future-to-come (Rashi, Bereishit 15:19). The Keni is Amon, The Kenizi is Moav, The Kadmoni is Edom since Amalek came from him who was the first (kadmoni) to attack Israel... (Chizkuni). For many years I have been teaching that I believe the ten nations correspond to the 10 sefirot. They are divided into three and seven corresponding to the three intellectual sefirot (Chabad) and the seven emotional. The ten nations were the impure husk of the sefirot (the other side). Recently I learned a Torah teaching that confirmed my assertion. Our ability to conquer the Holy Land depends on rectifying our character traits corresponding to the sefirot. Our Patriarchs were promised the land of Israel due to their rectification of the character traits that correspond to the seven lower sefirot. When Mashiach will come and rectify the three uppermost sefirot of Keter, Chachma, and Binah, then we will be able to conquer the entire land promised to Avraham in the Covenant Between the Pieces. For those of us who aren’t serving in the army, fighting evil terrorists, it is good to know that we too can contribute to the victory of our current war, by working hard at refining our character. 

Maintaining Gratitude Within Grief and Terror

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Parashat Noach
Maintaining Gratitude Within Grief and Terror

How can we not be Angry at G-d for Allowing His People to Suffer in His holy Land?

How can I feel gratitude now, witnessing the greatest atrocities committed against my people? How can I be thankful when parents are burying their children, and the blood is flowing from the open wounds of our people? The other day an alumna student living outside of Israel called me crying incessantly in her inconsolable grief. She had just given birth to a stillborn daughter after 38 weeks of gestation. What can I say to comfort? How can I console the bereaved parents, the widows, and orphans? How can I feel grateful to Hashem and how can I even not be angry at G-d Who allowed all these suffering and cruel massacres to happen to His people in His holy land? “Hashem is punishing me,” cried my alumna student. “Perhaps we can view the calamities from another perspective, far from the self-blaming punishment perception,” I ventured. “You are grieving together with the bereaved parents in Israel. This is not a punishment but more likely to be an atonement to make us worthy of the final redemption. Although you have lost your beautiful baby, may her short-lived soul be considered as a sacrifice along with all the sacrifices of the murdered and the suffering our people are experiencing at this time, in the wake of the final redemption.” The challenges of these pre-messianic times that we are going through now were predicted by the rabbis of the Talmud. Ulla says: Let the Mashiach come, but after my death so that I will not see him, as I fear the suffering that will precede his coming. Likewise, Rabba says: Let the Mashiach come, but after my death, so I will not see him (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b). So, isn’t there anything we can do to end this suffering? The Talmud continues, Abaye said to Rabba: Why are you so concerned? If we say it is due to the pains preceding and accompanying the coming of the Mashiach, isn’t it taught, “What shall a person do to be spared from the pains preceding the coming of the Mashiach? Rabbi Elazar said: They shall engage in Torah study and acts of kindness” (Ibid.). You don’t have to look far to behold the great kindness with which our people are responding to calamity. Just one example that especially moves me is the tzititz the chareidi yeshiva boys are busy making for the soldiers to help protect them. As for the Torah learning, this is why we have been working night and day to get our bomb shelter, so we can do our part to raise the voice of Torah on the land.

Our Soldier Duty is to Carry on with our Holistic Torah for Mind, Body, and Soul

G-d commanded Noach to build an ark within which he, his family, and all living beings would be saved from the flood:

ספר בראשית פרק ז פסוק א וַיֹּאמֶר הָשֵׁם לְנֹחַ בֹּא אַתָּה וְכָל בֵּיתְךָ אֶל הַתֵּבָה כִּי אֹתְךָ רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק לְפָנַי בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה:

“Hashem said to Noach, ‘Come into the ark, you and all your household, for it is you that I have seen as a righteous man before Me in this generation’” (Bereishit 7:1).

The aim of the Ark is to provide a safe place – during the storms of life – to make us feel supported, encouraged, and empowered to achieve our goals and aspirations in serving Hashem. Therefore, it became crystal clear to me that in these troubled times when young vulnerable women, who have recently arrived in Israel experience great anxiety, it is my job to provide them with a safe space where they can feel cradled, cared for, and as secure as possible considering the circumstances. We (my students and I) aren’t soldiers on the frontlines, yet we have our soldier duty to continue our mission as a community of holistic Torah for mind, body, and soul. Our students are stepping up to help secure the funds for our safe space that we, with Hashem’s help, were able to bring to our land. I am thankful to Hashem who gave me the strength to pull the bomb shelter project through when most of our staff were unable to work. 

From Left to Right Moshe, Rav Mechael, Meir

I’m filled with gratitude to the men in my life for their support and help with the bomb shelter project, first of all, to my dear husband Rav Dr. Mechael who laid out $25,000 without hesitation to secure the down payment for the bomb shelter, until funds can be raised to cover the heavy cost of the bomb shelter. No less thanks go to our son Mordechai Meir who spearheaded the bomb shelter project and worked tirelessly to find the only available bomb shelter in Israel. Meir coordinated all the necessary details and arrangements for the bomb shelter’s arrival.  I’m also grateful to our dorm father Moshe Rozenbaum who returned from Jerusalem where his family was taking refuge, to be the key person on campus to measure, cut branches, and more. My heart is filled with gratitude to all the donors who sent generous donations. Without all of you, we would never have been able to get a bomb shelter and start our Fall Program on time as planned according to our schedule! We still need to raise more money to cover the cost of the bomb shelter. Please keep the donations coming! Click here to Donate to our Bomb Shelter and Protect our Students.

Entering the Saferoom of Torah and Prayer

The Hebrew word for ark is תֵּבָה/tevah also means ‘word.’ The everlasting lesson of Noach’s ark is to engage in the words of Torah and prayer. Just as Hashem instructed Noach to “Go into the ark,” so must we too “go into” our words and invest our whole self in every word that emanates from our lips, in Torah learning, in prayer, and in holy speech to one another (Based on the Ba’al Shem Tov, Amud Hatefilah - The Pillar of Prayer).

ספר בראשית פרק ו פסוק טז צֹהַר תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה…

“You shall make a skylight for the ark…” (Bereshit 6:16)

Hashem told Noach to make a skylight in the ark. This refers to either a window or a precious stone, which would shine and give light (Rashi, Bereishit 6:16). The window allows the light from outside to enter. This corresponds to when we share Torah we have read or heard from others. We must keep absorbing words of wisdom from our elders, mentors, and teachers, becoming a vessel for their Torah to shine through us. The precious stone is a source of light itself. “From where did Avraham learn Torah? His two kidneys became like pitchers of water, from which Torah gushed forth” (Bereishit Rabbah 39:3). When we purify our character and labor hard in Torah, we may receive our own spiritual insights from within, with which we can enlighten and uplift others. Especially at this time, we are called upon to share encouraging Torah words of chizuk that will strengthen everyone’s emunah!

Turning the Blame Reflex into Words of Encouragement and Faith

Perhaps the tevah – ‘word’ of Noach serves as a tikkun (rectification) for the domino effect of blaming that took place in last week’s parasha. Rather than being grateful for the woman Hashem created for Adam, he avoided taking responsibility by blaming his wife, Chava. Chava in turn blamed the serpent. Since eating from the Tree of Knowledge, whenever something goes wrong people’s natural reflex goes into blaming mode. People tend to take credit for themselves when things go well in life but blame circumstances when things don’t go their way. This phenomenon is called “self-serving bias,” and nearly everyone is a culprit. Yet Noach’s Ark teaches us to pull ourselves up from naturally drowning in the flood of negativity and blame. When the war started there was blaming thrown at me for not yet having gotten a bomb shelter for the midrasha (Torah learning center). Yet, with the help of the majority of brave and positive students speaking words of encouragement, we were able to uplift the spirit of our midrasha community by learning Torah, reciting Tehillim together, and singing spirited songs. While there may still be those who blame the Israeli government for the current war etc. The people of Israel as a whole are responding with courage and faith to the suffering brought by the brutality of the inhuman savage enemy. The Jews worldwide are uniting. Those who have never said a word of praise in favor of the Israeli army are now crying with tears for G-d to protect them and keep them safe. Soldiers with uncovered heads plead for tzitzit from those who arrived to offer them sweets. Real estate agents beg families from the south to enter their empty apartments for free. Community prayers are held worldwide, and the flag of Israel is flying high with words of emunah!

    

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Noach

• Dealing with your Anger toward G-d

When you experience intolerable hardships, pain and suffering, you may not want to admit it, but it is normal to get angry at G-d for allowing this seemingly injustice. Rebbetzin Feigi Twersky pointed out that even anger is an indication of a relationship. In a similar vein, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin said that anger toward Hashem is possible only for one with deep awareness of G-d. The Gemara (Brachot 31b–32a) tells us that a number of great individuals spoke quite harshly to Hashem, either out of their personal pain or for the sake of the Jewish people. Great Jews have sometimes expressed much pain and frustration to G-d.

Take a walk and talk to Hashem, pour out all your pain, frustration, and anger to Him. You may even punch your fists into the air or use your body in any way to express your feelings. When you are done, be still, sit down, and close your eyes. Open yourself to receive Hashem’s response to your tirade. You may feel His compassionate affection caressing you softly, or you may receive comforting words of empathy. Stay still until you feel a bit of relief and your pain has been somewhat soothed.

• Finding Relief within Suffering – Which good points can you find amid suffering?

Gratitude during suffering means looking deeper. It entails peering into the deep of your wounded soul and finding the light. It is a labor of love. It is the work of loving yourself well. It is the work of facing your life’s circumstances knowing you are held fast in the Hashem’s hug. Meditate on the points of light you experience within your fear, pain and grief.

• We are our Words – Practice turning negativity into encouraging words of Emunah

Spend three minutes writing down three examples of something that bothers you. Then spend four minutes substituting positive phrases for your negative ones. Use language that creates an entirely different mental picture of whoever or whatever constitutes the person or thing that annoys you. At first, this might seem difficult, because she/it is really annoying. Once you’ve written down your word substitutions, the odds are excellent that your negative feelings will begin to dissipate as well. Try it and see where it takes you.

• Transform Blaming Behaviors

You might start by changing your perspective to shift away from blaming external forces. Instead of focusing on what others are doing wrong, try to focus on what you could do to improve the situation. Here are some tips that may help you change your perspective. Practice gratitude: Gratitude can be a powerful tool to help you shift your focus away from blame and toward the positive aspects of your life. You might try to take time each day to reflect on what you are grateful for and focus on these things instead of what could be causing you stress or frustration. Take personal responsibility by acknowledging your role in the situation, without blaming yourself needlessly. Notice the way you are contributing to bettering the situation. Thank yourself and Hashem for empowering you with your particular contribution to better the world.