The first words of this week Torah portion, G-d tells Avraham to “Leave your country, your kinsman and your father’s home.” These words indicate more than just leaving behind a certain place. In Hebrew, the passage begins with “Lech Lecha” which connotes going out for one’s own advantage. What was the advantage of Avraham’s leaving at this point, and how was this different from the challenges he had faced before?
A brief biography of Avraham: According to tradition, he discovered at the age of three that there was One Creator in spite of having grown up in a pagan home. After he smashed his father’s idols, he was sent to Nimrod’s furnace where he affirmed his belief in One G-d and narrowly escaped death. He married Sarah and they both disseminated their knowledge of G-d. After all of this, at the age of 75, Avraham is told to leave everything behind. Not only that, but that this departure was to his own advantage. How could this be possible?
We all have situations we wish we could change, but cannot seem to. Perhaps trying new methods does not work, no matter how many books we read and experts we consult, we cannot seem to get out of a particular conundrum. On the other hand, perhaps we do not realize that there is a problem at all and feel quite satisfied with things the way they are. Whether we sense the lack of something in our lives or are painfully aware, the answer for most of us it make some kind of departure, whether it is to completely change our way of doing things, the place we live or simply to redirect our energies and to change our moods.
Avraham was being told not merely to go on a journey or even to move to a new place. He was also commanded to leave behind his old habits, customs and thought patterns. A person can move to another place, but bring along aspects of his or her personality which may create a situation much like the one that was left behind. Through this command to Avraham, we learn that it is not enough to leave a place but also to leave behind worn-out patterns that are not working.
Speaking of Life Changes, you may want to look at the blog “What is a Baal Teshuvah?”