Ziv Parashat Lech Lecha

Go from your country

This week we begin the story of Abraham, the father of believers. Abram comes from “Ur-Kasdim” in Babylon, the land of science and knowledge (it is from there that the magi of the Gospels come from), but also the land of idols (Ur-Kasdim means “light of the magicians” in Hebrew). According to the tradition of the Midrash, Abram shattered his father’s idols in which he was trading.

He receives the order to leave “[his] land, [his] kindred and [his] father’s house” to go to an unknown land, with the promise of a numerous lineage. Abram becomes a nomad, a “stranger and sojourner” on the earth. He is the first to be called a “Hebrew” (Genesis 14:13), which means precisely “the one who passes” who is only an emigrant.

The Talmud teaches that “the works of fathers are a sign for the sons”, meaning that these works are called to be renewed by the future generations… and indeed, Abram already carries in himself the vocation of the people of God, to be marching toward the promised land, a land that according to Jewish tradition does not belong to the people, but primarily to God. This is a very important point: for the Jewish tradition, the land is only lent to the people, which must work it to produce its fruit, but it does not properly belong to it. Therefore Israel can never become a nationalist nation, which is foreign to biblical thought, even though, of course, it must dwell on its land, according to God’s promise.

Abraham therefore is radically opposed to the temptation of the constructors of the Tower of Babylon, his compatriots : he does not settle, he does not stop on the way, he leaves for adventure.

The first words of the paracha: “lech-lecha” (“leave”) are repeated in Genesis 22:2, at the moment when God asks the father of believers to offer him the son of the promise: “go to the land of Moryiah”, and again Abraham obeys in faith. The tradition indicates that he was similarly tested ten times, and every time he was able to overcome the difficulties by having faith over and above all appearances.

Thus he becomes “Abraham” the father of nations, when he intercedes, for example, for the people of Sodom. Noah was saved alone, with his family and the midrash reproaches him for not having prayed for his generation. Abraham in this second covenant, prays for sinners (Genesis 18:22-32) et the nations are blessed in him. Shabbat Shalom.