Lekh Lekha


Bereishit 12-17


Avraham's Life: The Blessings of Dreams and Reality

Jenny R. Labendz, 5763


Read Bereishit 11:27-32, the end of Parshat Noah, and try to pretend that you have never read the rest of Bereishit before. Does anyone in particular stand out to you?

Now this is the line of Terah: Terah begot Avram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran begot Lot. Haran died in the lifetime of his father, Terah, in his native land, Ur Kasdim. Avram and Nahor took to themselves wives, the name of Avram's wife being Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife Milkah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milkah and Yiskah. Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. Terah took his son Avram, his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Avram, and they set out together from Ur Kasdim for the land of Canaan, but when they had come as far as Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah came to 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת תֶּרַח תֶּרַח הוֹלִיד אֶת אַבְרָם אֶת נָחוֹר וְאֶת הָרָן וְהָרָן הוֹלִיד אֶת לוֹט: וַיָּמָת הָרָן עַל פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים: וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם וְנָחוֹר לָהֶם נָשִׁים שֵׁם אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם שָׂרָי וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת נָחוֹר מִלְכָּה בַּת הָרָן אֲבִי מִלְכָּה וַאֲבִי יִסְכָּה: וַתְּהִי שָׂרַי עֲקָרָה אֵין לָהּ וָלָד: וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן הָרָן בֶּן בְּנוֹ וְאֵת שָׂרַי כַּלָּתוֹ אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד חָרָן וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם: וַיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי תֶרַח חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיָּמָת תֶּרַח בְּחָרָן:

Last week we saw the "prelude" to Parashat Noah in Bereishit (5:29 and 6:8), which gave us introductory notes about Noah. Is there any such thing for Avram?

Now read Bereishit 12:1-4, the beginning of Lekh Lekha. Do you have a sense of why this is going on, and who this Avram is?

Hashem said to Avram, "Go, forth from your land, and from your kinfolk, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse the one who curses you, and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you." Avram went forth as Hashem had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Avram was 75 years old when he left Haran.וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ: וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה: וַאֲבָרֲכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה: וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט וְאַבְרָם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן:

Parashat Lekh Lekha is our grand--and quite sudden--introduction to Avraham Avinu. At the end of Parashat Noah, we were told a bit about his family and its travels, but from the first words of Lekh Lekha, Avraham is singled out as our main character, spoken to directly by God. "God said to Avram, ‘Go forth from your land, and from your kinfolk, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you'" (12:1). The Rabbis in Bereishit Rabbah sense the startling nature of this introduction, and offer various ideas about Avraham's character and actions that led God to call out to him. (The Rabbis engage is a similar exercise regarding Mosheh at the beginning of Vayikrah Rabbah.) We hear that God chose Avraham because of his unwavering emunah (faith) in Hashem, despite being raised among idolaters; that God chose Avraham because of his great hokhmah (wisdom); and because of his sense of justice in the world. When the Torah does not provide us with character development, the midrash fills in amply.

One note stands out and resonates with particular depth when we think about Avraham's response to God's call. Pause here and reread 12:4-9, Avraham's response:

Avram went forth as God had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Avram was 75 years old when he left Haran. Avram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot, and all the wealth that they had amassed, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in the land of Canaan, Avram passed through the land as far as the site of Shehem, at the terebinth of Moreh. (The Canaanites were then in the land.) Hashem appeared to Avram and said, "I will assign this land to your offspring." And he built an altar there to Hashem who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country east of Beit El and pitched his tent, with Beit El on the west and ‘Ai on the east, and he built there an altar to Hashem and invoked Hashem by name. Then Avram journeyed by stages toward the Negev.וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט וְאַבְרָם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן: וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו וְאֶת כָּל רְכוּשָׁם אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁוּ וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן וַיֵּצְאוּ לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה כְּנָעַן: וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי אָז בָּאָרֶץ: וַיֵּרָא יְהֹוָה אֶל אַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהֹוָה הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו: וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם הָהָרָה מִקֶּדֶם לְבֵית אֵל וַיֵּט אָהֳלֹה בֵּית אֵל מִיָּם וְהָעַי מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהֹוָה וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה: וַיִּסַּע אַבְרָם הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה:

"Avram went forth as Hashem had commanded him...."

What does this tell you about Avraham? Think about this; how would you respond if you received a command like that from God?

In Bereishit Rabbah 39:3, on the opening verse of the parashah, R. Berekhiah uses verses from Shir haShirim (8:8-10) to describe Avraham. The verses say:

We have a little sister, whose breasts are not yet formed. אָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה וְשָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ
What shall we do for our sister when she is spoken for? מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה לַאֲחֹתֵנוּ בַּיּוֹם שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר בָּהּ:
If she be a wall, we will build upon it a silver battlement; אִם חוֹמָה הִיא נִבְנֶה עָלֶיהָ טִירַת כָּסֶף
if she be a door, we will panel it in cedar. וְאִם דֶּלֶת הִיא נָצוּר עָלֶיהָ לוּחַ אָרֶז:
I am a wall, my breasts are like towers. אֲנִי חוֹמָה וְשָׁדַי כַּמִּגְדָּלוֹת
So I became in his eyes as one who finds favor.אָז הָיִיתִי בְעֵינָיו כְּמוֹצְאֵת שָׁלוֹם:

Explains the midrash:

‘We have a little sister' -- this is Avraham, who mended ("איחה"-pun on "אחות", the word for sister) the whole world.

‘....If she be a wall, we will build upon it a silver battlement' -- If he can stand words up like a wall, he will be built upon.

"If she be a door" -- If he is weak ("דל"-pun on "דלת", the word for door) in mitzvot and good deeds "we will panel it in cedar" -- a structure that is only temporary...

Avraham said before God, ‘Master of the universe, I am a wall! I can stand words up before you like a wall!'"

Immediately after this our parashah is said to begin.

Here we have a picture painted of an eager idealist-a person not only ready to answer God's directive on the spot, but one who is calling out to God in search for such a directive! He is trying to prove his adequacy even before the conversation has begun, in order to begin the conversation himself. R. Berekhiah seems to be drawing on the first character trait we discover about Avraham: he is zariz, eager and quick in fulfilling the word of God. No questions asked; when God says "Jump", he jumps. (Contrast this to Mosheh's first encounter with God and the hesitance he displayed, beginning in Shemot 3:11.)

But what's the very next thing that happens in our story? "וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ" -- "There was a famine in the land" (12:10). Avram the idealist encounters a very real problem. In the place where God has told him to go, his material needs simply cannot be met. There is no food to eat, so he goes to Egypt where there is plenty.

At this point (12:11-13) we meet a different Avram. Whereas before he seemed totally unconcerned with superficial goods and pleasantries, ready to leave his whole life for God-only-knows-what (literally), now he focuses on Sarai's physical beauty. Whereas before he seemed brave and eager to get up and do anything, now he cowers in fear of losing his life, and tells Sarai to lie and say that she is his sister and be taken into the bed of an Egyptian, so that he, Avram, will not be harmed. What has happened to our eager idealist? Like many such people, Avram's idealism was broken in the face of a reality he did not anticipate. Sometimes it is simply not as easy as getting up and going, being a "wall", as R. Berekhiah says Avram is sure he can be. Not only is it difficult inside--emotially, spiritually--but it is difficult on the outside; try as we might to ignore them or make them less central to our lives, we have physical needs that must be met. What is a religious personality to do when it seems that a berakhah from Hashem is just not enough to sustain her/him? Perhaps Avram's answer to that question was to give up in certain ways. And where is God to help him through this? Where is the encouragement he seems to need so badly? Maybe he is just too far gone right now to hear God's voice in his life and in this new reality.

But this is not the end of Avram's journey. In the next section of the parashah (13:1-13), Avram and his nephew Lot have a problem, in that they each have too much cattle; their shepherds are fighting with each other, and there is not enough space for both of them. Avram suggests that they part ways in order to maintain peace in the family; Lot chooses to move eastward to Sedom, while Avram stays put. Things work out. It is this episode, this little door-opening, that may have given Avram just the amount of confidence he needed in order to hear God again. Now, he receives a new berakhah. Read back over the first berakhah, 12:2-3 (with a follow-up in verse 7), and then compare it to this second berakhah, 13:14-17.

The first berakhah: "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse the one who curses you; And all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you....I will assign this land to you and your offspring." The idealist goes forth!

But after the reality check he just encountered and the transformation he begins to go through, this berakhah no longer suffices. The second berakhah (13:14-17):


Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too can be counted. Get up, walk about the land, through its length and its breadth, for I give it to you.וַיהֹוָה אָמַר אֶל אַבְרָם אַחֲרֵי הִפָּרֶד לוֹט מֵעִמּוֹ שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה מִן הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שָׁם צָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וָקֵדְמָה וָיָמָּה: כִּי אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּלְזַרְעֲךָ עַד עוֹלָם: וְשַׂמְתִּי אֶת זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אִם יוּכַל אִישׁ לִמְנוֹת אֶת עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ גַּם זַרְעֲךָ יִמָּנֶה: קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ לְאָרְכָּהּ וּלְרָחְבָּהּ כִּי לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה:

What is different about this berakhah?

For one thing, it is firmly grounded in the present moment, both temporally and spacially. At this very instant Avram is looking around, walking around his blessing. It is not a far off place, nor a dream of some idealist and his God in Ur Kasdim. Even the description of the multitude of his offspring is described in terms he can wrap his head around right now: the dust of the earth. He is a traveler, so this image means something to him. This is a berakhah for a realist, a person rooted in the present time and place, though not without vision for his future offspring. It is only after this berakhah that we read, "...וַיֶּאֱהַל אַבְרָם...וַיֵּשֶׁב" --"Avram moved his tent... and dwelt..." (13:18). Avram is now ready to settle. Up until now, he was a traveler, still wandering about, and though he had built an altar to God (12:7), it was not from a place (physically or spiritually) of stability and reality. He was still a dreamer.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them" (Walden, "Conclusion"). Avram's idealistic dreams were not for naught. They were ignited by God, and started him along a path that he needed-and that we needed for him-to travel. But at a certain point he had to build foundations under them, and this second berakhah initiates that part of his journey. We need to remember that when our idealism seems crushed by reality, we need not crumble and give up. We cannot expect the berakhah that motivated us earlier when we were (appropriately) idealistic, to work now, when our perspective is different. We need to try to listen for the berakhah appropriate to now, to allow it to sink in and motivate us, so that we may build the foundations underneath our castles in the air.