B"H

Tuesday, Mar-Cheshvan 9, 5781 / October 27, 2020

 

The reason that the Bible is called, "Torah" is because it comes from the word "hora'ah" - "teaching/guide." Even the stories of creation and of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs are not a history lesson, but serve to teach andguide us in each generation and at all times.

 

This week's Parsha, Lech Lecha, is devoted to our Patriarch Abraham and Matriarch Sarah. The Parsha tells about many of the tests which Abraham and Sarah endured, beginning with G-d's commandment to Abraham, Lech Lecha, to leave their birth place and their father’s home.

 

He promised Abraham that in the new land, "I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who will bless you... and in you shall all the families of the earth bless themselves."

 

Thus, Abraham at the age of seventy five, and Sarah at age sixty five, became the first wandering Jews. G-d commanded Abraham and Sarah to travel to a foreign destination--the land of Canaan.  But, when they finally arrived, G-d brought a famine and again they had to move. This time, they traveled to Egypt where they experienced more trials and tribulations. Sarah was taken from Abraham and brought to King Pharaoh. G-d punished Pharaoh and his household and she was returned to Abraham. So began Abraham and Sarah’s experience in The Promised Land.. tests and more tests. 

 

Torah commentaries discuss why does the Torah use the words "Lech Lecha" which literally mean "go for you," when only the word "Lech" ("go") would have sufficed?

 

Rashi explains that with the two words, LechLecha, go for you, G-d is telling Abraham that although this commandment may seem difficult at this time, it is in fact, "for your benefit and for your pleasure."  For whatever G-d does and whatever He wants us to do is in truth for our benefit and if we accept it as such, it is also for our pleasure, whether we see it at the time or not.

 

Said a wise person: In life, generally, the things in which a person finds pleasure are not necessarily for the person's benefit. But, the pleasure one derives through performing G-d's commandments are indeed for our benefit!

 

The Midrash uses the following analogy to explain why G-d wanted Abraham to experience the many exiles from place to place: 

 

A bottle of perfume was placed in the corner of a shelf.  As long as it remained there, no one appreciated its fragrance.  Only when someone moved the perfume from place to place did everyone enjoy its wonderful fragrance. The same was with Abraham and Sarah.  G-d wanted them to move from place to place so that people could get to know them, appreciate them and emulate their pious and generous deeds.

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY