Lech Lecha Parshah Thoughts
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Giving In
Avram singlehandedly defeated four kings in battle – four powerful kings, who had previously conquered five others, and Lot, Avram’s nephew. When Lot was captured, a refugee ran to Avram for help. People knew Avram’s prowess…
There was vast difference between Avram and Lot in size and power. Avram was a great chieftain, who maintained a huge camp of 318 warriors, while Lot was a pipsqueak who even with five other kings combined couldn’t match Avram.
An argument arose between their shepherds. Avram, the superpower, turned to little Lot and offered first choice; ‘You pick your place, even the best place, and I’ll move to the right or left. You’r choice, and I’ll move’.
That’s a lesson in being mivatter to someone smaller than you!
Ralbag
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Circumcision
Avraham circumcised as a sign of his pact with Hashem.
We find circumcision elsewhere in the Torah too; In the episode with Dina the brothers suggested that all Sh’chem circumcise. Did they intend to convert? No. So why circumcise? Was it merely a ploy to weaken them?
When there was no food in Egypt, the people came to Pharoh, who directed them to do as Yosef said. What was that? Rashi says that he asked them to circumcise. Again, there was no Jewish intent, so why circumcise?
The Ibn Ezra points out that only man has a foreskin – no animal does. This supports the thought that circumcision removes an extra part. Although born with it, its like the placenta and umbilical cord that needs to be cut away.
At any rate it seems that there is value in of itself in circumcision. Hashem chose a meaningful act as the sign between us. It was not required, and He made it required for Jews.
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When To Fight
The tale of the feud between Avraham’s and Lot’s shepherds is prefaced: ‘Lot too, going with Avram, had many cattle, sheep and tents, and the land was too small for them both’.
Why is this necessary or relevant? The main issue is the fight which parted them. Why talk of Lot’s sheep?
Perhaps the background for the quarrel was that they were uncomfortable. Since the shepherds were short of space, the fight ensued. Perhaps since there wasn’t enough space, Lot’s people stole grazing grounds from others. Avraham’s shepherds disapproved, and fued was on.
I think there is another lesson here: A fight ought not be reason to break up the friendship between two friends. There must be a basic problem in staying together to justify a breakup.
Sometimes two people have a fine relationship, (partnership, marriage or friendship), and get along fine. They have The Big Fight, and never speak to each other again. This is plain wrong. A disagreement, fight or argument is not valid grounds for breaking up. The appropriate thing to do is to make up, and make right, not break up. Its only when the relationship is inappropriate in the first place that a feud ought to be a way of getting out.
The Torah prefaced that there was simply no room for both Avram and Lot in the same land. That’s why Avram suggested splitting up. Otherwise he never would have.
I think there is a lesson here for me.
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To Take Or Not To Take, That Is The Question
Avraham was willing enough to take presents from Paroh, king of Egypt. He told Sarah to claim to be his brother, and Paroh will reward him with gifts. Yet when the king of S’dom offered him the spoils Avraham had rightfully won, he refused: ‘I raise my hand to Hashem that I shall not take even a shoelace; never claim to have made Avraham rich!” Can we reconcile these very conflicting attitudes?
Perhaps Avraham needed bare necessities from Paroh. He could not do without them. So he took gifts despite Paroh being able to claim enriching Avraham. However at S’dom he was wealthy and powerful. Taking gifts in such a situation was inappropriate.
Or that in the first instance, Avraham was in debt. His obligation to his creditors obliged him to accept gifts and repay his debts. Later on, debt-free, he turned gifts away. (- Sifsei Chachamim) In fact, Sefer Chasidim teaches that a man in debt must accept gifts to pay them off.
Or: Hashem had promised Eretz Yisroel to Avraham. Avraham said ‘Why take it from the king of S’dom, Hashem will give me it anyhow’. But Avraham would accept presents from Paroh, for they were never promised him.
The Targum translates ‘I raise my hand to Hashem’ as ‘I raise my hand in prayer to Hashem’ (i.e. not in a vow). ‘I pray to Hashem’ – what’s the connection?Avraham was saying ‘I rely on Hashem for my needs. I don’t need presents. If I lack something, I pray Him for it!’
This statement reflects incredible faith. Only when Avraham single-handedly fought and defeated the world’s superpowers could he say with perfect faith; ‘I need no-one. I will not even take the spoils due me. Hashem takes care of me’.
This explains why he refused gifts now although he accepted from Pharoh.
This is our roadmap: we want to achieve the level of clarity that we feel a need for no one: Hashem is my Salvation, I trust and feel no fear.
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Challenging Hashem
Sarah laughed at hearing she would have a child; it was so utterly impossible! Perhaps this laughter represented a challenge to Hashem. He said ‘She doubts My ability!?’ So Hashem showed Sarah that He could give her a child.
(Does Hashem care for our challenges? We find challenges to Hashem in the Torah. One example is when Channah davened for a child. She threatened to force His Hand by secluding herself with a strange man and having her husband administer the Sotah drink which brings children if the suspected woman is pure. She was convinced this challenge to Hashem would work. It did!
Another source is the Gemarah in Sanhedrin that a sure way of faling ones goals is to plan them out completely. Then Hashem says ‘Oh, its all worked out, eh? Let’s see if it will be!’ I understand this to be a related concept.)
So in effect Sarah’s laughter generated Yitzchak. Maybe that’s why his name is Yitzchak – laughter – for her laughter made him be!
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Do We Need Eretz Yisroel, Or Does Eretz Yisroel Need Us?
Hashem introduced Himself to Avraham ‘I’m Hashem who saved you from Ur Kasdim to give you this land as an inheritance’ Why this introduction?
Hashem promised us Eretz Yisroel as a homeland. So that we should have a place to call our own? No. Here is why:
Logic states that Hashem could not have saved Avraham from Ur Kasdim in order that he take Eretz Yisroel: for had he died he wouldn’t need a homeland! If Hashem saved him, it was only because he had a destiny to fulfill, a destiny in Eretz Yisroel. Hashem said to Avraham: I saved you from Ur Kasdim because we need you in Eretz Yisroel. You have a job to do there.
Eretz Yisrael is not just a place to be which can be exchanged for another; it is our very destiny. It is our workshop, the only place that needs us to work it.
This makes Hashem’s promise that we get this Land extra strong; we had to get Eretz Yisrael because things could not work out otherwise. Even for the Land!
©2013
kollel parshah | Tiferet Ramot 83-21, Jerusalem, Israel, 97290
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