Monday, Mar-Cheshvan 3, 5778 / October 23, 2017

This week’s Parsha, Lech Lecha, begins with the story of Abraham and his wife, Sarah – the patriarch and matriarch of the Jewish people. 

Lech Lecha is the third Parsha in the Torah. The first Parsha, Braishis was about creation in general and the creation of Adam & Eve.

The second Parsha, Noach, was about the destruction of everything by the Great Flood and afterwoods the rebirth of mankind after the Flood from Noach and his descendants.

The third Parsha, Lech Lecha, which we will read this Shabbat, is about the beginnings of the Jewish nation from Abraham and Sarah.

The Parsha begins with G-d commanding Abraham, who was 75 and Sarah who was 65, to leave their homeland and go to the land of Canaan, the land which G-d promised to eventually give to their descendents. From this point on the Torah concentrates on the episodes of Abraham and Sarah and their descendants. This Parsha covers a span of twenty five years in the lives of Abraham and Sarah.

In the Parsha G-d tells Abraham (Gen. 13:14), "Lift up your eyes and look, from the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward and westward;  For all the land which you see, to you I will give it and to your children forever.  And I will make your children as the dust of the earth so that just like one cannot count the dust of the earth, so too, will your children not be counted."  

Q.  What is the significance of the Jewish people being compared to the sand?

A. According to the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, Jews are likened to earth, "Just like the earth contains hidden treasures which can be extracted only through effort, so too, every Jew has great spiritual treasures hidden within them."

Thus, according to the Baal Shem Tov, when we see a Jew who on the surface is not ideal, we should dig deeper, for every one has great potential, but may need effort to bring out to the surface. 

Maimonides, in his letter of encouragement to the Jews of Yemen, who were experiencing great difficulty and oppression, writes, "G-d already promised our forefathers that, although the nations will oppress His children and try to annihilate them, the Jewish people will survive and be around long after their oppressors will already have been gone. This is the reason for comparing the Jewish people to the sand of the earth.  The earth is continuously stepped upon, yet outlasts all those who step on it. The same is true of Israel," continues Maimonides, "The people of Israel will survive and last forever".

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY