Parashat Lech Lecha: Finding Light Through Trials and the Legacy of Avraham Avinu (2023)

Good morning from New York.

This week's Divrei Torah is dedicated to the shloshim (30-day remembrance) of my dear husband, Rav Shloime ben Rav Yitzchok z"l. May these words be an aliyah (elevation) for his neshamah (soul). May his many maasim tovim (good deeds) and noble character—both bein adam laMakom (between man and G-d) and bein adam l’chaveiro (between man and man)—continue to inspire us all.

Lech Lecha: Lighting Up a Dark World

Last week’s Parashah focused on rebuilding after the Flood. This week, Parashat Lech Lecha teaches us to bring light into darkness.

As Rambam explains, Avraham Avinu entered a world entirely submerged in idolatry. Only Shem and Ever maintained true tradition in their secluded Beit Midrash. Avraham Avinu had the courage to proclaim, "There must be another truth."

We cannot fully grasp the greatness of standing alone against the entire world—but that was Avraham’s strength.

The Power of Tests: Why Does Hashem Challenge Us?

Avraham Avinu underwent ten intense trials. But why so many? Especially after already proving his unwavering devotion by facing Nimrod’s fiery furnace?

The answer begins with the very first words of the parashah:

"Lech Lecha me'artzecha...""Go for yourself from your land..."

This first challenge was not just geographical; it was deeply emotional. He left his land, his birthplace, his family—everything he knew. Remarkably, the final trial, the Akeidah, also begins with "Lech Lecha."

Chazal ask: Which test was harder? Sacrificing a son, or uprooting one's entire past? The Torah implies that both required profound inner strength.

The Age of Transformation: Avraham at 75

There’s a beautiful pasuk in Shir HaShirim:

"Hinech Yafa, Rayati" — “Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved.”

Chazal teach that “Rayati” refers to the Jewish nation, and the gematria (numerical value) of Hinech is 75. At age 75, Avraham Avinu gave up everything to start anew. That inner transformation founded our entire nation.

Why Challenges Are a Gift

Chazal teach:

"Ashrei ha'ish asher tesarenehu Kah" — "Fortunate is the one whom You discipline, O G-d."

Hashem sends us tests to unlock our hidden potential. Avraham was not just tested with self-sacrifice; he was asked to act with complete trust, without explanation or clarity.

"Vayeilech ka'asher diber Hashem" — "And he went as G-d had spoken."

He didn’t ask where, why, or how. He simply obeyed. That act of faith—walking into the unknown—is what instills in every Jew the strength to serve Hashem through the unknowns of life.

An Inspirational Story: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkanus

Rabbi Eliezer, the son of a wealthy man, was thought to be incapable of learning. His own father told him he had no future in Torah.

Yet Eliezer cried every day, yearning to learn for l'Shem Shamayim (the sake of Heaven). He eventually made his way to Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai’s Yeshiva, where he rose to become one of the greatest Sages.

Like Avraham Avinu, he embraced his personal Lech Lecha—with perseverance, humility, and trust in Hashem.

Ma’aseh Avot Siman L’Banim: Avraham as a Role Model

Avraham’s trials were not just personal—they were prophetic. The principle of "Ma’aseh Avot Siman L’Banim" means his actions became a blueprint for our national future.

When Avraham arrived in Eretz Yisrael, a famine struck. Still, he did not doubt Hashem. When his wife was taken in Mitzrayim, he remained composed. When he emerged with wealth, he returned on the same path, demonstrating gratitude and spiritual integrity.

The War of Kings: Symbol of Future Exile

The battle between the Five Kings and Four Kings was more than a political conflict. The Midrash teaches that their aim was to capture Lot and draw Avraham into battle.

According to the Rambam, this war symbolizes the four exiles of Jewish history. The message? Hashem—not worldly power—guides the fate of Am Yisrael. Avraham's victory demonstrated that emunah (faith) prevails over all.

Spiritual Growth Through Hardship

In the Brit Bein HaBetarim (Covenant of the Pieces), Hashem reveals the future enslavement of Avraham’s descendants. But this path of suffering leads to:

"V’acharei chen yetz’u birchush gadol" — "And afterward they will emerge with great wealth."

Trials purify and elevate us. Just as fire refines gold, hardship reveals the soul's strength. This is how we become the holy nation Hashem desires.

Avraham Avinu: The Shield of Chesed and Faith

We conclude our daily Amidah prayer with the words:

"Magen Avraham" — "Shield of Avraham."

Why Avraham? Because he was the first to embody complete trust and chesed (kindness). Unlike Noach, who focused on personal righteousness, Avraham lived to spread Hashem’s name:

"Vayikra b'Shem Hashem" — "He called out in the name of Hashem."

He didn’t just build a world—he lit it up.

May this Parashat Lech Lecha inspire us to embrace the unknown with faith, to persevere through challenge, and to always act ka’asher diber Hashem—just as G-d has spoken.

Have a wonderful Shabbat, and all my love from New York.

May the neshamah of Rav Shloime ben Rav Yitzchok z"l have an aliyah, and may his legacy continue to guide and uplift us.