"Lech Lecha"
So there's Avram, minding his own business. Doing whatever it is biblical characters from (around) 4000 years ago do. When suddenly, there is a little tap on his shoulder (tap, tap, tap). This is no ordinary tap. This is a God tap. That's right. God taps Avram on the shoulder and says "Get up! Get out of this place! Go to this other place that I will show you." And like all good biblical characters from (around) 4000 years ago, Avram starts packing. God tells him to take his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, his servants and all his "stuff" (sheep, goats and cattle - the usual). Off they went.
Their first stop on the way to "the place that I will show you" is Egypt. And with every good Egypt there is a Pharoah. Whatever Pharoah wants, Pharoah takes. Sarai is definitely a looker (would we expect anything less from our Matriarch?). She is also great at math and a fast runner. When Pharoah sees her he wants to take her and add her to his collection. So, in an effort to save himself, Avram asks Sarai to pretend she is his sister instead of his wife. She does. But, God is not very happy with this at all! To demonstrate just how unhappy, God brings terrible plagues upon the Egyptians. Pharoah somehow makes the connection that the plagues are connected to the fact that Sarai is really Avram's wife and not his sister afterall.
Pharaoh immediately releases Sarai from his personal wife collection and tells Avram to "Get out!" To keep himself in God's good graces, he gives Avram lots of parting gifts including gold, silver and camels. And their journey continues.
They still have no idea where they are going but that does not seem to bother anyone.
In the beginning of the parasha, God tells Avarm "Lech Lecha" which literally means "go to you." "Walk into yourself." Maybe the reason God doesn't name the place they are going is because God has no idea. The place they are going will be determined by their process of "going into themselves". The place they are going will be decided by them, based on their actions.
In the beginning of the parasha, God tells Avarm "Lech Lecha" which literally means "go to you." "Walk into yourself." Maybe the reason God doesn't name the place they are going is because God has no idea. The place they are going will be determined by their process of "going into themselves". The place they are going will be decided by them, based on their actions.
In the end of the parasha God changes Avram's name to AvraHam and Sarai's name to SaraH. God literally inserts the "hei" of God's name into theirs. The "hei" represents the breath of God. Maybe God does this as a nod back to the beginning when human life is activated by God's breath? Perhaps it's a tangible way for Avraham and Sarah to understand that this journey is less about a physical location and more about a spiritual one? Having God's name in theirs hopefully provides a sense of comfort, protection and love.
Mekor Hachayiim, Source of Life, as we move into Shabbat, may we be like Avram and Sarai - trusting and willing to "go to the place that I will show you". To go deep into ourselves and find that place - that space of unknown. May we feel the "hei" - the breath in our own name and experience it as comfort, protection and love from God.
Shabbat shalom u'mevorach,
LaurieH
Mekor Hachayiim, Source of Life, as we move into Shabbat, may we be like Avram and Sarai - trusting and willing to "go to the place that I will show you". To go deep into ourselves and find that place - that space of unknown. May we feel the "hei" - the breath in our own name and experience it as comfort, protection and love from God.
Shabbat shalom u'mevorach,
LaurieH
No comments:
Post a Comment