Lech Lecha
Go forth from your land, from the place of your birth, from your father’s home to the land I will show you. I will give this Land to your descendants.
It seems like a blessing that the Lord gave to Abraham, and yet, we humans have managed to turn it into something almost like a curse for the people of Israel.
I write these words with a heart quite literally gripped by anguish, the images of antisemitic barbarism vividly in my mind, as hundreds of Israelis were attacked in Amsterdam after a Champions League soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax. Since Simchat Torah 2023, we have been witnessing with horror and dread the devastating news coming from Israel. Buildings and homes are in flames in a literal sense in the south and north, and last night, in Europe, a pogrom. Yes, in times when pogroms seemed relegated to a distant, irretrievable past, we see an organized mob viciously attacking groups of Israelis while institutions responsible for protecting them delay their response and let it happen.
Undoubtedly, we, descendants of Abraham, must be among those who see this fire when much of the world would rather turn away and continue with their own busy lives. Can we really infer that yesterday’s pogrom in Amsterdam was in defense of the Palestinian people’s right to their land?
When we recognize ourselves as part of humanity, carrying an ethical legacy written into the foundational stories of our people, we also recognize that we are partners in the Covenant that begins with the words of this week's Parasha, and that we bear a moral responsibility, a calling, to extinguish the flames of hatred, of war, of antisemitism that now consume not only material structures but also human beings. Here and there, we strive to be partners in rebuilding a humanity gone astray.
We also bear the difficult responsibility of ensuring that the same path of justice and equity is honored by those who govern us as the people of Israel, avoiding the extremes that lead to destruction and hatred.
In Lech Lecha, Abram is chosen to embark on an uncertain journey. God tells him to leave his land, his birthplace, his home, and his family, and to go to an unknown destination. And so he goes. This means he must engage with kings, armies, and wars, putting his own people at risk to rescue captives, as he does in Genesis 14. And at times, as we will see as Abraham’s story unfolds, it means he must take a stand against retribution and the burning of cities, even if God Himself has decreed that those people deserve punishment.
How can we know the right way to uphold that covenant that began precisely with Abram?
Rashi interprets Lech Lecha as “go unto yourself.” Reconnect with your essence of justice and with the search for a better world. Be inspired by the words of the Torah, and spread these words to reach those who are blind to their baseless hatred.
Spread the Word.
We must keep explaining, educating, and teaching the truth. As part of the people of Israel, we have that responsibility. Being a “light unto the nations” (Or LaGoyim) isn’t about holding the only truth or claiming to be special, but about keeping the flame alive when darkness threatens to overwhelm us.
Like Abram, we must leave the comfort of our daily lives and venture forth to do something to make this world, this society, a little better.
Like Abram, we must engage with our communities and congregations, stay united, and be open to the inclusive message of our tradition and Torah.
Lech Lecha, “Go forth for yourself,” or, “Go to your innermost self.” The Lord wishes to tell Abram that there is no other way to connect heaven and earth than by visiting the universe within. A journey, perhaps longer than the distance between Abraham’s homeland and the Promised Land.
After the Flood, when humanity began to multiply across the earth, people wanted to reach heaven by building the famous Tower of Babel. Naively, they thought they could unite heaven and earth by growing upwards.
In this Parasha, the Kadosh Baruch Hu, The Holy one, Blessed be He, teaches us that the best way to unite heaven and earth is to grow inward.
Shabbat Shalom Umevorach,
Rabbi Gustavo Geier