A Thought on Parshas Lech Lecha
A Thought On Parshas Lech Lecha
"...va'agadla shem'echa..."
"...and I will make your name abound..." (12:2)
"...lifnei sha'chais HaShem..."
"...this was before HaShem destroyed Sdom..." (13:10)
One of the broad pledges made to Avraham is that if he followed HaShem to the promised land, his name would be made great. At best, the meaning of that pledge is unclear to us.
In describing Lot's relocation to Sdom, the Torah inserts that this event took place "before HaShem destroyed it." It is not clear why that additional information is mentioned.
The Bechor Shor offers thoughts on both verses, which blend nicely into a single premise. The tantalizing pledge of "I will make your name abound" actually means that "your character will develop" in Israel. Avraham was an elderly man, forsaking his homeland, fleeing his culture, and leaving behind his family wealth. Not a great way to start off in Israel (although our people have been doing that for centuries!). HaShem promises him blessings which include "making his name abound", rather than promising him wealth, friends, and fame. The blessing of making the name great is not a reference to fame, either. It is a blessing that upon living in the Promised Land, different potential qualities and characteristics will emerge and be actualized. "Your nature will come out." So many times, a change of environment, a change in the setting and circumstances of our new location, can bring out latent features of one's essential character.
Stresses may bring out the worst in us. Challenges may bring out the best in us. HaShem blessed Avraham that living in Israel would challenge him in a way which helped him continue to grow. He became a patriarch in the Promised Land when he met his challenges with gusto and conviction.
Later on, his nephew Lot agrees to separate from Avraham's small clan. He settled in the lush oasis of Sdom. The verse says that he did so "prior to HaShem destroying the place." That verse seems unnecessary. He would hardly have moved into Sdom if it no longer existed. Obviously it was not yet destroyed. What are we to learn from this caveat?
The Bechor Shor explains that the region was once lush and fertile, which is what attracted Lot to the area. HaShem's later move to destroy the area and its inhabitants had nothing to do with the land or its agricultural attributes. It could only be that the inhabitants themselves were unworthy people. In our times, we think of the Sdom region (near the Dead Sea) as a desolate inhospitable area. However, in Lot's time, it was not desolate at all. It was great, geographically. But, it was inhospitable in the social sense. The people were cruel. They were bad people. Had Lot looked into those demongrahpic facts, he would have said "great neighborhood, horrible neighbors." He might have moved elsewhere.
The verse broadcasts that this latter fact could have been spotted by Lot had he done a more careful reconnaissance. HaShem was preparing to wipe the place off the map because of its inhabitants! The Torah is teaching us that one must check out the neighbors as well as the neighborhood. If the social climate is not a good fit, you must get up and quit.
The unified lesson of the Bechor Shor, then, is that Avraham was able to grow because of the assets which the new region offered. Lot's downfall was because of the features which made his new region risky and hazardous. Oy le'rosha, oy le'scheino.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...va'agadla shem'echa..."
"...and I will make your name abound..." (12:2)
"...lifnei sha'chais HaShem..."
"...this was before HaShem destroyed Sdom..." (13:10)
One of the broad pledges made to Avraham is that if he followed HaShem to the promised land, his name would be made great. At best, the meaning of that pledge is unclear to us.
In describing Lot's relocation to Sdom, the Torah inserts that this event took place "before HaShem destroyed it." It is not clear why that additional information is mentioned.
The Bechor Shor offers thoughts on both verses, which blend nicely into a single premise. The tantalizing pledge of "I will make your name abound" actually means that "your character will develop" in Israel. Avraham was an elderly man, forsaking his homeland, fleeing his culture, and leaving behind his family wealth. Not a great way to start off in Israel (although our people have been doing that for centuries!). HaShem promises him blessings which include "making his name abound", rather than promising him wealth, friends, and fame. The blessing of making the name great is not a reference to fame, either. It is a blessing that upon living in the Promised Land, different potential qualities and characteristics will emerge and be actualized. "Your nature will come out." So many times, a change of environment, a change in the setting and circumstances of our new location, can bring out latent features of one's essential character.
Stresses may bring out the worst in us. Challenges may bring out the best in us. HaShem blessed Avraham that living in Israel would challenge him in a way which helped him continue to grow. He became a patriarch in the Promised Land when he met his challenges with gusto and conviction.
Later on, his nephew Lot agrees to separate from Avraham's small clan. He settled in the lush oasis of Sdom. The verse says that he did so "prior to HaShem destroying the place." That verse seems unnecessary. He would hardly have moved into Sdom if it no longer existed. Obviously it was not yet destroyed. What are we to learn from this caveat?
The Bechor Shor explains that the region was once lush and fertile, which is what attracted Lot to the area. HaShem's later move to destroy the area and its inhabitants had nothing to do with the land or its agricultural attributes. It could only be that the inhabitants themselves were unworthy people. In our times, we think of the Sdom region (near the Dead Sea) as a desolate inhospitable area. However, in Lot's time, it was not desolate at all. It was great, geographically. But, it was inhospitable in the social sense. The people were cruel. They were bad people. Had Lot looked into those demongrahpic facts, he would have said "great neighborhood, horrible neighbors." He might have moved elsewhere.
The verse broadcasts that this latter fact could have been spotted by Lot had he done a more careful reconnaissance. HaShem was preparing to wipe the place off the map because of its inhabitants! The Torah is teaching us that one must check out the neighbors as well as the neighborhood. If the social climate is not a good fit, you must get up and quit.
The unified lesson of the Bechor Shor, then, is that Avraham was able to grow because of the assets which the new region offered. Lot's downfall was because of the features which made his new region risky and hazardous. Oy le'rosha, oy le'scheino.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 8:07 PM
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