Parashat Lech Lecha
Prayer for Following Hashem’s Ways,
Connecting with our Highest Self
and Becoming a
Light to the World
Please G-d, call on me, take me under Your wing!
Let me follow You, wherever my soul will spring!
I have been searching for Your presence all my life,
to take me out and beyond worry sorrow, and strife.
Please Hashem hold my hand and show me the way,
to cleave to You and feel Your presence every day.
With You at my side, I no longer will feel so alone.
Please help my prayer reach up to your Holy throne.
O Hashem, reveal the inner meaning of the phrases I pray,
so I can have sincere intention through every word I say.
Help me tuning in and feeling Your Presence in the air!
Let me know that Your Shechina is hidden everywhere!
In the rustling wind, the dew-filled earth, and in the sun,
in my bitter tears and in my laughter, when I’m having fun.
I want to cleave to You, O Hashem take me by the hand.
Please let me follow You, when You show me the land!
The mountains, valleys, seas, and the rivers of my soul,
Open the eyes of my heart and let them lead me to the goal.
I want to grow while working on myself to refine.
Then with Your Indwelling Presence, I can realign.
Help me find myself, in the place where You reside, I want to go!
Allow me to link up with my higher self, where I can truly glow!
Then I can dig down deep from within the murky dark,
revealing points of goodness and elevating every spark.
When I walk before You, trusting You and becoming pure,
I can share Your holy Torah, teaching others to be sure.
Help me to be an example to the world and spread Your light.
Let
me guide myself and everyone to reach the highest height.
Based On Bereishit (Genesis) Chapter 12, 13 and 17)
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).
A person is closer to himself than to all
these three. Therefore, he was told לֶךְ לְךָ /lech
lecha – ‘go to your essence’ (Kli Yakar).
The inner dimension of these words, ‘go to yourself’ is: connect the soul that is in your
body to your soul-root that is on high and always connected to G-d. The root of
the soul above isn’t hampered
by the world. It constantly sees G-dliness revealed. Thus, at the end of the
verse, “...to the land that
I will show you.” When
we connect the lower part of our soul to its higher part through our
involvement in Torah and mitzvot, we also then attain the ability to see
G-dliness in this world! The Arizal said that such a vision is even
greater than seeing Eliyahu the prophet!
(ב) וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ
וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה:
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I
will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing” (Bereishit 12:2).
(ג) וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרֲכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ
כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה:
“I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you” (Bereishit 12:3).
(ז) וַיֵּרָא הָשֵׁם אֶל אַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת
וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַָשֵׁם הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו:
“Then Hashem appeared to Avram, and He said, ‘To
your seed, I will give this land,’ and there he built an altar to Hashem, Who
had appeared to him” (Bereishit 12:7).
The reason for TO HASHEM WHO APPEARED TO HIM is that he thanked the honorable Name and offered an offering of thanks, because He appeared to him… (Ramban, Bereishit 12:7).
(ט) וַיִּסַּע אַבְרָם הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה:
“Then Avram traveled, continually traveling southward” (Bereishit
12:9).
Perhaps he wanted to become wise regarding Divinity as it states:
“Whoever wants wisdom let him go towards South” (Babylonian Talmud, Baba
Batra 55b); (Kli Yakar).
ספר בראשית פרק יג פסוק א וַיַּעַל אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם הוּא
וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְלוֹט עִמּוֹ הַנֶּגְבָּה:
“Avram came up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was his,
and Lot with him, to the south” (Bereishit 13:1).
The extra word הוּא/Hu
refers to the Shechina which also is called הוּא/Hu
in its inclusion of male and female. Behold the Shechina went down with him to
Egypt to clarify sparks and he raised them up from there through his great
possessions where the sparks rose with him. This is the meaning of “And
Avram rose from Egypt הוּא/Hu.” Meaning that he brought up the הוּא/Hu
– Shechina…also “that which belonged to him” are the sparks that pertain
to the root of his neshama. “I am G-d הוּא/Hu
is my name” (Yesha’yahu 42:8); (Agra
d’Kala).
(ב)
וְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָב:
“And Avram was very heavy with cattle, with silver, and with gold”
(Bereishit 13:2).
The Zohar (A/81) explains that Avraham’s exalted spiritual status allowed
him to elevate the G-dly sparks that were hidden in the world within the
most seemingly spiritually void places such as Egypt. Avraham’s high level also protected him, and
he left Egypt spiritually unscathed. Avraham’s descent to Egypt was to elevate the multitude of sparks
hidden there. This work, he also left for his descendants to complete, which
they did, completing the process with their redemption from Egypt. So too, we,
the final generation of this exile, are meant to elevate our environment,
preparing it for the era of Mashiach. “Whenever you fall down make sure you
pick something up.”
“When Avram was ninety-nine years old, G-d appeared to Avram,
and He said to him, ‘I am the Almighty G-d; walk before Me and be pure’” (Bereishit
17:1). רש”י על בראשית פרק יז פסוק א
אני אל שדי - אני הוא שיש די באלהותי לכל בריה לפיכך
התהלך לפני ואהי’ לך לאלוה ולפטרון וכן כל מקום שהוא במקרא פירושו כך די שלו והכל
לפי הענין: התהלך לפני - כתרגומו פלח קדמי הדבק בעבודתי:
I am He whose G-d-ship
suffices for every creature, therefore, walk before Me, and I will be your G-d
and Protector… WALK BEFORE ME - As the targum, cleave to my worship (Rashi).
A person whose inside is like his outside is תָמִים/tamim,
when his mouth and heart are united… (Rabbeinu Bachaya).
