BS"D
JOURNEY'S JUDGMENT: PARSHAT LECH LECHA
Shira Smiles shiur – 2022/5783
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
The Torah records two
different times Hashem tested Avraham Avinu by commanding him to go, to lech
lecha. The first time is in our parsha. Hashem tells Avraham to go from his
land, his birthplace, and his father's home. Decades later, Hashem command
Avraham, "Lech Lecha/Go to the Land of Moriah, and bring up [your
beloved son Yitzchak] upon one of the mountains which I shall indicate to
you." Given the repetitive language, our Sages debate which of these two
journeys was the more beloved trial.
According to the Midrash, the
fact that Hashem told Avraham Avinu to go to Har Moriah, to the place from
which Torah teaching and fear of God will emanate, implies that this second
test is the more beloved of the two.[Moriah can be translated either as
teaching, like Torah, or as fear and awe, as yirah. CKS] Dying al kiddush
Hashem/for the sanctification of God's Name is considered the highest test
and indeed Yitzchak would be dying on the altar. How could the medrash question
which of these trials would be greater and more beloved by Hashem?
Rabbi Mordechai Druck points
to some differences in these commands that sheds some light on why the question
itself was raised. Although both commands are interpreted as, "Go for your
own good,"when Hashem commands Avraham to leave his land, Hashem promises
Avraham several blessings connected to this move. But Hashem does not tell him
where he is to go, what his destination will be. With the second journey,
Hashem tells Avraham his destination, but specifies no reward. Because of these
differences, Rabbi Levi had raised the question not of which is the greater,
more difficult challenge for Avraham Avinu, but which is the more beloved by
Hashem. Yet the Torah testifies that Avraham's performance of the mitzvah, of
leaving everything behind, had nothing to do with the promised reward, but was
done simply because Hashem thus commanded him. Similarly, the Torah testifies
that even without a promised reward, indeed with willingly giving up his legacy
and life's work by sacrificing his son, Avraham kept going to the place Hashem
had told him to go.
In My Sole Desire,
Rabbi Kluger explains that while man's greatest desire is to connect to
Hakodosh Boruch Hu, under most circumstances, the physical desires of the body
are stronger than the spiritual desires of the spirit. However, when faced with
challenges, the desire to connect to Hashem becomes stronger, and makes those
challenges worthwhile. When a Jew undergoes trials and remains steadfast in his
loyalty to Hashem, his spiritual beauty is revealed both to the world and to
himself. Hashem presented Avraham with these challenges, forcing him to journey
from place to place, symbolically releasing his beautiful fragrance wherever he
went.
Rabbi Tauber, who transcribed
and adapted the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, beautifully interprets these
journeys homiletically. He divides the influences on what we become as a
product of three sources, of nature, nurture, and intellectual maturity. In this
conceptualization, Hashem is telling Avraham to go from his natural, inborn
desires, from his environment and society, and even from his own mind-set and
intellect. For I, Hashem will lead you to your innermost essence, that spark of
Godliness within you. Go away from your finite self to the self that is one
with Me.
By accepting Hashem's second
command, to bring his son Yitzchak as a sacrifice upon the altar, writes Rabbi
Schwab, Avraham Avinu was in fact sacrificing his own intellect to Hashem's
will; Avraham did not pose the question of how Hashem's promise that through
Yitzchak would his seed [and his legacy] be fulfilled if he sacrificed this
very son upon the altar. Avraham refused to question, accepting that Hashem is
always right, even when we cannot understand it. This act of self sacrifice of
the mind was therefore more beloved to Hashem than the earlier journey.
In yet another perspective,
Rabbi Ochion poses the question, which is more beloved, a great, one time
challenge, or a lesser, continuous challenge that persists throughout one's
life. The akedah was an overwhelming trial, but it would be done once;
leaving everything you know and beginning life anew in a new land with a
completely new lifestyle would present daily, though rather minor challenges.
Rabbi Chaim Cohen, "Hachalban,"
puts these two categories into perspective. Each person is unique with a
mission unique to him. To succeed in this mission, Hashem gives him many tools
and many challenges. Sometimes what is necessary is a major test to shake up an
individual in an area that requires very strong, immediate action. Sometimes
one is required to perfect a negative characteristic by daily work and practice
to counter a negative trait, like jealousy or anger. The seemingly trivial, daily
challenges are meant "for your own good," to improve and perfect the
person you are. The traumatic ones are meant for our good in the
next world. While the great trial is more beloved to Hashem, each small
challenge you overcome and grow from is also beloved.
Rabbi Kluger clarifies these
categories of tests. When a person is confronted with a major challenge, he
recognizes the situation as a challenge, as a test of his faith. His friends
also recognize these difficult times and lend support. However, the personal
challenges are private, and must be dealt with privately, without outside
support. No one else is aware that you are struggling not to divulge a piece of
juicy gossip, or are trying to rejoice with your friend's good fortune without
becoming jealous. This struggle is not of the magnitude of the akedah,
but it is a challenge and a trial, nonetheless. And it is through overcoming
these personal challenges that we fulfill our unique role in revealing kavod
Shamayim/the glory of Heaven in this world. In the future, Moshiach will
reveal the daily challenges each of us faced, for indeed Hashem took notice.
There are two reasons for
embarking on a journey, notes Rabbi Weinberg in Shemen Hatov. One may
either be traveling to leave a negative environment, or one may be traveling
toward a destination. As Rabbi Mordechai Ezrachi writes, in the first journey,
Hashem was telling Avraham to travel away from Charan, to erase seventy five
years of experiences, delete them forever, physically and spiritually. If you
are to be "the father of many nations," you must start afresh.
Therefore, Hashem does not tell him where to go. His focus is exclusively on
leaving the past. But the second lech lecha is about the future.
Therefore Hashem tells him the destination, Har Moriah. For each of us, the sur
meira/leave the negative, evil ways must precede the asei tov, do
good, but the ultimate goal is to do good.
This sequence is reinforced
when Yaakov Avinu blesses Yosef's sons Ephraim and Menashe. Although Menashe is
the elder, Yaakov crosses his hands to put his right, more important, stronger
hand over Ephraim and his left hand over Menashe. The Slonimer Rebbe explains
in Netivot Shalom that Yaakov was referencing the meaning behind their
names. Yosef named Menashe in gratitude for Hashem's letting him forget the
troubles of his past. In contrast, Ephraim was named for Hashem's making him
fruitful in the land of his suffering. In other words, leaving the negative is
not as important as building the positive. Even though both activities are
important, the desire to do good will help us stay away from evil. Both Ephraim
and Menashe will be great, but the positive will be greater.
While everyone agrees that the
second journey, the journey to bind Yitzchak as a sacrifice, was the more
beloved trial Avraham Avinu faced. Rabbi Michel Twerski gives a unique
explanation for this preference. In Yiram Hayam, Rabbi Twerski explains
that one might assume that the first journey from Charan might be more
difficult and more beloved because Avraham had not yet forged as close a
relationship with Hakodosh Boruch Hu as he would later develop, and he could
therefore be more inclined to question the reasons for leaving everyone and
everything behind. The second journey to bind his son and offer him as a
sacrifice posed a different sadness in Avraham, a sadness specifically created
by Hashem's telling him to go to Har Hamoriah. According to Rabbi Twerski,
Avraham realized that Hashem requested that he sacrifice Yitzchak on the same
mountain that Adam had built an altar and on which Noach had brought sacrifices
after the flood. Avraham reasoned that in the future the nation Hashem would
choose to spread His word would also bring sacrifices at this place. If he were
to sacrifice his son here, that privilege would be fulfilled by someone else's
descendants rather than by his own. It pained him that he would not have
descendants to fulfill this mission and to bring sacrifices to Hashem on this
very mountain. It was this desire, suggests Rabbi Twerski, that was so dear to
Hashem, that in spite of his longing for descendants to serve Hashem, Avraham
still wanted to annul his own desire and to fulfill Hashem's request with love.
We tell our children stories
of the lives of our Avot and of great tzadikim throughout the ages. Our
children may feel they are failures even before they begin, for they would
never achieve the greatness of these tzadikim, or pass the trials Hashem sets
for them. What we must impress upon our children is that only Hashem can
properly evaluate each situation and the response each of us makes. The same
action may take greater effort from one individual than from another, either
because of differing circumstances or differing personal, emotional, or
psychological natures. As Rabbi Pam adds, we certainly cannot judge anyone
else, for we don't know his personal struggles or challenges. Equally
important, do not compare yourself to others, for you too have challenges no
one else has and no one else is aware of.
Every person born is given
struggles, challenges and trials, and is given the tools to cope and overcome
them, as difficult as that may seem. Perhaps our biggest challenge is to love
ourselves enough to pray that Hashem help us meet our challenges successfully,
for He loves even our small victories. Every struggle and trial we overcome
builds our character, strengthens our midos, and fashions us more closely to
the potential Hashem has created us for.