"וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ."
Why does Hashem randomly chose Avraham to leave?
Rashi says that Hahems says the "licha" part in "lech licha" is because it is for Avraham's benefit. Hashem will make Avraham a great nation, because he cannot have children where he is now. Additionally, Avraham's name will be great.
Why does Hashem want Avraham to leave if it is just for Avraham's benefit (according to Rashi)? What are other interpretations of what Hashem was telling Avraham when he said "lech lecha", "go FOR YOURSELF"?
What are other interpretations of what Hashem was telling Avraham when he said "lech lecha", "go FOR YOURSELF"?
ReplyDeleteThe Panim Yafos says that “lech lecha” was a test from Hashem to see if Avraham would just go to fulfill Hashem’s commandment, rather than only go to seek the benefits. As opposed to Rashi who says that Avraham was supposed to go for himself, to benefit himself, to create a great name, and to have children, the Panim Yafos says he was just being tested by Hashem to see if he had true faith. Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch also has an interesting approach to what “lech lecha” can be interpreted as. He says that it means, “go by yourself”, implying that Hashem was trying to separate or isolate Avraham from his present life. This answer is in line with Rashi’s approach because it shows that Avraham is going for himself, in order to start a new and better life then he had before.
What are other meanings of when Hashem tells Avraham "Lech Licha"?
ReplyDeleteSome commentaries explain that Avraham was being revealed to the rewards which await him because the test was to see whether Avraham's incentive to go would be the rewards or the fact that Hashem had commanded him to do so. Pirkei Avot says that this was commanded to Avraham solely as a test of faith to see if he would do what Hashem says. This opinion counters Rashi's opinion (that it is for his own benefit).
The instruction is weird. It doesn't delve into the nuances of the structure of order things to leave. לֶךְ-לְךָ is taken at face value to mean “Go, for you” – meaning it is in his interests to follow.
ReplyDeleteThe Kli Yakar takes issue with this, and says that לְךָ is not “for you”, but “to you” – “you” is the destination, by way of הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ. He is told to leave where he is to become who he will be – a independent and great person. This is what it means "for you" – be all you can be. Therefore it stands to reason that Hashem did not state a destination – Avraham could go as far as he wanted to.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Whitman says:
ReplyDeleteBy the time of the עקידה, Avraham had accomplished so much. He was a great leader and warrior. He was spiritual, personable, and principled. And yet, after everything, it is as if he has not yet arrived. לך לך— go, travel — is repeated. He must journey again. Because a religious person never arrives. A religious person is always on a pilgrimage. A religious person is, spiritually, never at rest.
Hannah Siegel
ReplyDeleteRav Asher Yaakov Sinclair says that HaShem makes Avraham leave his home in order to reconnect spiritually. Sometime we get so consumed with outward stresses that we forget the importance of nature and spirituality. Avraham must "go for himself," meaning he must go to find himself and find who he is in a land that is not his own.