Parashat Lech Lecha

By Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon

Founder and Board Chairman, JobKatif

Dedicated to Rav Chanan Porat (zt”l) who passed away a few weeks ago.

The Mishnah in Tractate Avot (5:4) says: “Avraham our forefather was tested with ten trials and withstood them all.” The Rambam explains the trial of going to the land of Israel which this week’s parasha discusses. It says:

“G-d said to Avram, ‘you should go from your land, from the place that you were born, from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. And I will make you a large nation and I will bless you and make your name great and it will be a blessing” (Bereishit 12:1-2)

What was the big test in going to the land of Israel? G-d already promised that with his move, Avraham would become a great nation, he would be blessed and his name would become great. How can this be a great test when the reward was so great?

Understandably, having the belief that G-d would carry these things out is a test, but there is something more here. One difficulty that that Avraham may have had was  cutting himself off from his father’s house, leaving his homeland.

The Ramban expounds on this point in his commentary on the above pasukim. He says that it is difficult for a person to leave a land where he lived with his loved ones, family and friends, and it’s even more difficult to leave the place where one was born. Therefore G-d should have of said ‘you should leave everything for your love of Me.’

Rav Chanan Porat (zt”l) loved the land of Israel, the Torah of Israel and the nation of Israel. He added a few beautiful ideas on this topic. He had said that we need to appreciate the difficulty of leaving one’s homeland. We must show great appreciation for all those who have made aliyah, and have come to Israel. These people left everything that was familiar to them: their land, their families, their communities, and went to a new place, a different culture and mentality.

However there is another difficulty in what Avraham had to do. He went to a place completely unknown. G-d didn’t tell him which land he was traveling to, he didn’t know what condition the land would be in, or if the people that were settled there were dangerous. All he was told was to follow G-d blindly to a land that He will show him.

If this is so, then we have two answers to the greatness of this test. One was that Avraham had to separate from his family. The second was that he was walking into the unknown.

But why didn’t G-d tell Avraham where he was going? Why did He just day ‘to the land that I will show you?” One answer is so that this mysterious journey would be part of the test.

The sages bring a midrash that G-d did not reveal the destination so that Avraham would anticipate the surprise, and the land would become more beloved in his eyes.

Another possible explanation was that Avraham had no idea which way to go. He was completely dependent on G-d as his personal navigational system. G-d led him and was with him all the time.

Rav Chanan Porat added that the land is specifically the land that G-d would show him. Avraham was to go to the land that G-d showed him, and that it is where He will be shown to him.

Listening to the voice of G-d that tells you to go to Israel should not end upon the entry into the land. A person should not just be in Israel physically; one needs to understand that the voice of G-d is always found there. This is the principal meaning of having the land of Israel, and connecting to G-d while we are here.

When we realize the voice of G-d, may we hear His mission for each of us. And may we strengthen our constant desire to do the will of G-d, and especially in “the land that the eyes of G-d are always upon.” (Devarim 11:12)

Shabbat Shalom!