Lech Lecha - 2 words to many words!
Torah Study 10/3 Genesis 12
Rabbi Marder
The Call To Abraham/Avram - Lech Lecha
Two words and so much commentary!
Go Forth - the two words that launch the 'Jewish enterprise'.
Torah themes: Home and Homelessness - a pervasive theme throughout
characters in Bible always seeking a home but then they must leave their homes.
Always looking for our identity and yet always a 'stranger in a strange land'.
Lech Lecha - continues the theme of being driven away. Being told to 'get out'.
These are the words that break God's silence for 10 generations.
The word "lecha" 'demands interpretation' as well as the repetition.
Rashi: "go for your own benefit" Lecha implys 'for you'
he focused on the 'IF you go God will make him a great nation"
IF you leave 'you can have children'
Contradictory to the image of Avram with his strong faith that implies he would go only for his love of God.
There is a link also to the later event with the binding of Isaac - starts with the same two words: Lech Lecha
Hassidic interpretations comparing to Noah - the Noah part begins with praise for Noah. Abraham is not praised, he is just told to go. Abraham is not chosen because he is righteous because of what follows. God's reasons are unknown. The Israelites are CHOSEN - not necessarily because they are righteous.
"God is just nuts about Abraham and who knows why!" (R. Marder)
Rashi: another interpretation - "so I will make known your character in the world"
Midrash compares Abraham to a bottle of perfume:
God needed a broader arena to show the talents of Abraham, so he was sent out into the world.
Sampson Raphael Hirsh: 19th cen Germany - "Go by yourself" " Go your own way" "be by yourself" - Lech Lecha is a command to be different. It is fundamental to being a Jew - to be different and to walk apart from centralization of thought.
To 'go away from the spirit of the times' was essential in SRH time. Abraham becomes a metaphor for protest against what is currently accepted. He was willing to walk away in order to be faithful to God.
Philo: (from the Plaut Gleanings) - reads Lech Lecha in a more 'Helenistic' way - to separate himself from the material world. To 'escape the body' and focus on the spiritual.
Hassidic reading: "Go for yourself" Go for the benefit of Eretz Israel.
It is all about the motivation:
You should be willing to go to the land - even if it means economic sacrifice.
Lech Lecha - is seen at the first commandment to go to Israel.
Jonathan Magonet (20th cen): Links the first 'lech lecha' here with the 'lech lecha' of the binding of Isaac. It is a similar starting point. Which is harder to leave home and family or to sacrifice your child? (Compares Abraham's leaving home to Don Quixote) We do not see Abraham's thoughts on leaving. He does not argue with God on the command "lech lecha".
However, Abraham is know for 'arguing' with God when it is for the benefit of someone else - as in the Sodom case.
What is a 'great nation'? We are so few by comparison.
Greatness is based on the relationship with God, based on quality not quantity.
The greatness of the Jewish nation is measured more by our contributions to the world.
This is why the shofar is blown from the small end to make a great sound.
Aharon of Karlin: "go to yourself" - seek your own roots.
R. Zusya: "go for your essence" accomplish what you can - follow your own skills a you are responsible to give this to the world.
R. Nachum: "go for yourself" for benefit and pleasure.
Abraham needed to wander to better understand other people and lifestyles. It made him a better 'host'.
Rashi: A person is appreciated more outside his own home.
(thus the need for an outside consultant)
Rabbi Marder
The Call To Abraham/Avram - Lech Lecha
Two words and so much commentary!
Go Forth - the two words that launch the 'Jewish enterprise'.
Torah themes: Home and Homelessness - a pervasive theme throughout
characters in Bible always seeking a home but then they must leave their homes.
Always looking for our identity and yet always a 'stranger in a strange land'.
Lech Lecha - continues the theme of being driven away. Being told to 'get out'.
These are the words that break God's silence for 10 generations.
The word "lecha" 'demands interpretation' as well as the repetition.
Rashi: "go for your own benefit" Lecha implys 'for you'
he focused on the 'IF you go God will make him a great nation"
IF you leave 'you can have children'
Contradictory to the image of Avram with his strong faith that implies he would go only for his love of God.
There is a link also to the later event with the binding of Isaac - starts with the same two words: Lech Lecha
Hassidic interpretations comparing to Noah - the Noah part begins with praise for Noah. Abraham is not praised, he is just told to go. Abraham is not chosen because he is righteous because of what follows. God's reasons are unknown. The Israelites are CHOSEN - not necessarily because they are righteous.
"God is just nuts about Abraham and who knows why!" (R. Marder)
Rashi: another interpretation - "so I will make known your character in the world"
Midrash compares Abraham to a bottle of perfume:
"The Lord said to Abram: 'Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you. (Genesis 12:1) What did Abraham resemble? A bottle of perfume closed with a tight fitting lid and lying in a corner so that its fragrant smell was not spread. When it was moved, however, its fragrance was spread. Similarly, god said to Abraham: "Travel from place to place and your name will become great in the world." (Bereshit Rabba 39:2)
God needed a broader arena to show the talents of Abraham, so he was sent out into the world.
Sampson Raphael Hirsh: 19th cen Germany - "Go by yourself" " Go your own way" "be by yourself" - Lech Lecha is a command to be different. It is fundamental to being a Jew - to be different and to walk apart from centralization of thought.
To 'go away from the spirit of the times' was essential in SRH time. Abraham becomes a metaphor for protest against what is currently accepted. He was willing to walk away in order to be faithful to God.
Philo: (from the Plaut Gleanings) - reads Lech Lecha in a more 'Helenistic' way - to separate himself from the material world. To 'escape the body' and focus on the spiritual.
Hassidic reading: "Go for yourself" Go for the benefit of Eretz Israel.
It is all about the motivation:
You should be willing to go to the land - even if it means economic sacrifice.
Lech Lecha - is seen at the first commandment to go to Israel.
Jonathan Magonet (20th cen): Links the first 'lech lecha' here with the 'lech lecha' of the binding of Isaac. It is a similar starting point. Which is harder to leave home and family or to sacrifice your child? (Compares Abraham's leaving home to Don Quixote) We do not see Abraham's thoughts on leaving. He does not argue with God on the command "lech lecha".
However, Abraham is know for 'arguing' with God when it is for the benefit of someone else - as in the Sodom case.
What is a 'great nation'? We are so few by comparison.
Greatness is based on the relationship with God, based on quality not quantity.
The greatness of the Jewish nation is measured more by our contributions to the world.
This is why the shofar is blown from the small end to make a great sound.
Lech Lecha - from a psychological view -
Aharon of Karlin: "go to yourself" - seek your own roots.
R. Zusya: "go for your essence" accomplish what you can - follow your own skills a you are responsible to give this to the world.
When Rabbi Zusya was about to die, his students gathered around him. They saw Rabbi Zusya's eyes break out into tears. "Our master," they said with deep concern, "Why are you crying? You have lived a good, pious life, and left many students and disciples. Soon you are going on to the next world. Why cry?"
Rabbi Zusya responded, "I see what will happen when I enter the next world. Nobody will ask me, why was I not Moses? I am not expected to be Moses. Nobody will ask me, why was I not Rabbi Akiba? I am not expected to be Rabbi Akiba. They will ask me, Why was I not Zusya? That is why I am crying. I am asking, why was I not Zusya?"
The greatest tragedy of life is not death. The greatest tragedy is dying without having completed our mission, dying before we know why we lived. Each of us has a responsibility to search our own soul and ask the ultimate question - "why did God place me on this earth?"
R. Nachum: "go for yourself" for benefit and pleasure.
Abraham needed to wander to better understand other people and lifestyles. It made him a better 'host'.
Rashi: A person is appreciated more outside his own home.
(thus the need for an outside consultant)
posted by Chavarah @ 7:07 AM
1 Comments:
At 9:46 AM,
Unknown said…
Yet another take on lech lecha may be derived from the popular expression "Get yourself (lecha) going!" My understanding of this construction is that sometimes one wishes to do something but cannot muster the courage or energy to do it. So Lech Lecha could mean stop agonizing about going on your journey and just go!
Jack Goldberg
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