B"H

Friday, Mar-Cheshvan 10, 5776 / October 23, 2015

      In this week’s Parsha, Lech Lecha, we find the first time in the Torah that G-d promised Abraham that his          children will inherit the Land of Israel. G-d said to Abraham, “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 seed forever."

The land of Israel was promised by G-d to the Jewish peopleover 3500 years ago!

G-d tells Abraham that like the dust of the earth, which cannot be counted, so too, will be his descendants - the people of Israel.

The Parsha also tells us that G-d appeared in a vision to Abraham and said to him, "Fear not Abraham I am your shield, your reward shall be exceedingly great."

Abraham, who was still childless, said, "What good is the reward when I have no heir to inherit it?"

G-d then took him outside and said to him, "Look towards the heaven and count the stars if you can number them... So shall your seed be."

Q.  What is the meaning that the Jewish people are likened to the dust of the earth and to the stars?

A.  The “dust of the earth” is something we all step upon, yet in the end we all are buried in that very earth we stepped upon. In the end, it is the earth that gets the last laugh.. (so to speak). The same is with the Jewish nation. We were stepped upon and suffered throughout the ages. But in the end we are still here and many of the nations who tried to annihilate us have long vanished from the face of the earth.

The stars in the heaven may appear very small to one who looks at them from below.  However, the closer one gets to the stars, the larger they appear. Only from above can one appreciate their true dimension.  So too, said G-d to Abraham, the people of Israel may appear small and insignificant at times, but it is only to those below, from My viewpoint they are important and great.

Lesson: The Baal Shem Tov says: If another Jew looks small and insignificant to you, it may be only due to the distance between the two. Should you become closer to him, then you may find a totally different picture; a bright and shining light. Thus, we have to be careful before we judge someone else. It may be that the problem is with us.. that we are at a distance from them.

This is the meaning when our sages say, "Do not judge a person until you come to his place." 

Don’t judge anyone from a distance.. “Come to his place.” Get closer to that person. Get to understand their challenges and struggles etc. Then your impression of him or her may change completely.

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 5:37 / Shabbat ends: 6:39