Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)

Parshas Lech L'cha

(Genesis 12:1-16:8)


"The Lord said to Avraham: go out from your country and out of your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you" (Bereshis 12:1)

Why does the weekly portion of Noach immediately precede the weekly portion of Lech Lecha? It is to inform us that it was through the righteousness of Noach, for who's sake the flood waters were removed from the earth, that the hidden location of the land of Israel was revealed to one of his descendants, Avraham Avinu. Avraham was the very first person to discover the hidden location of the land of Israel. This connection between the portions of Noach and Lech Lecha informs us that only in the merit of the truly righteous can the Jewish people get to the land of Israel. By the exodus from Egypt, the verse says, "and Hashem remembered His bris with Avraham, with Isaac, with Jacob" (Shemos 2:24). Only through the merit of our forefathers were we redeemed from Egypt and brought to the land of Israel. Yet, another verse illustrates this concept as well: "I will remember My bris with Jacob and also My bris with Isaac, and also My bris with Avraham (due to the merit of the righteous); and the land (of Israel) will I remember (to redeem the Jews from future exiles, back to the land of Israel)" (Vayikra 26:42). (Lekutai Halachos O"H Hilchos Tefilin 5:14).

"To the land which I will show you." (Bereshis 12:1)

Why is this verse which commands Avraham to go to Eretz Yisroel immediately preceded by the verse, "and Terach died in Charan" (Bereshis 11:32)? "Until now the intense anger of Hashem prevailed in the world (indicated by the word ‘Charan’, which means ‘anger’ in Hebrew, and is also the name of the place where Terach died)" (Rashi on this verse). Terach's death, which occurred in Charan (anger) is informing us that in order to avoid Hashem's anger, one must go to Eretz Israel. Thus, following this verse, Hashem immediately commands Avraham to leave Charan (anger) and go ("lech lecha") to Eretz Yisrael.

Eretz Yisrael has the power to draw "Erech Apayim" (Hashem's trait of long suffering) to the people living there. Avraham is the epitome of faith. Therefore, Avraham who represents faith was the first one shown the location of Eretz Yisrael (Zohar). Eretz Yisrael draws Erech Apayim to those living there because it is the land of faith, as it says, 'dwell in the land (Eretz Yisrael) and feed (yourself) with faith" (Psalms 37:3). The Rabbis say, "every moment that there is idol worship (no faith in Hashem) in the world, there is "Charon Af" (Hashem's anger) in the world (Sifre Reay). The Rabbi’s say, "for anyone who lives in the land of Israel, it is if he has a G-d" (Ketubot 101b). From these few sources just mentioned, we see that faith nullifies Hashem's anger, which results in Erech Apayim. In the morning prayers (shachris) we first say in the second benediction of the morning Shema, "He (Hashem) will lead us standing erect to our land". Then immediately after this phrase, we say the actual verse of "Shema Yisroel", which is a declaration of our faith in Hashem. Faith and Eretz Yisroel are always synonymous. (Lekutai Halachos O"H Hllchos Shabbos 7:75).

Moshe greatly desired to attain Hashem's Erech Apayim very badly, and yearned greatly to enter Eretz Yisroel. This is indicated by the following Gemorrah, which discusses the topic of Hashem revealing His 13 attributes of mercy to Moshe. "Moshe hurried and he bowed earthward (toward the eretz--Eretz Yisroel) and he prostrated himself" (Shemos 34:8). "What did Moshe see (that caused him to bow toward the earth)? He saw the trait of Erech Apayim" (Sanhedrin 111). This Gemorrah is telling us that Moshe was so impressed with the trait of Erech Apayim, which can be easily attained in Eretz Yisrael, that "he bowed earthward," toward Eretz Yisroel. He burned with desire to come to Eretz Yisrael to attain Erech Apayim. (Lekutai Mohoran (1) 155).

"Avraham departed, as Hashem had spoken to him, and Lot went with him' (Bereshis 12:4)

Even though Avraham carried out the will of Hashem to go to the place of the source of his soul, the land of Israel, Lot (which is the code-word for the evil inclination) traveled along with him. Lot's (the evil inclination’s) going every where along with Avraham was for the purpose of providing Avraham with a test, in order to induce him to strive for greater spiritual heights. It was also for the purpose of free choice, to give Avraham an opportunity to chose good over evil. Avraham took Lot also for the purpose to work on him spiritually, to sift out the good from the evil that encompassed him. This was very effective since as a result of Avraham's working on Lot he extracted from him the soul of the future Moshiach. Lot's daughter eventually produced Ruth, who was the ancestress of King David, who is the ancestor of Moshiach. (Lekutai Halachos O"H Hilchos Shabbos 7:75)

"And there arose a famine in the land (of Israel): and Avram went down into Egypt to sojourn there" (Bereshis 12:10)

Our Rabbis teach this was a great test for Avraham. He was at first greatly induced to go to the land of Israel and almost as soon as he arrived he was forced to leave. This verse teaches us one of the most important concepts in following one's spiritual path. Rabbi Nachman taught that a person must be an expert in both approaching and withdrawing from Hashem. One must follow this course of approaching and withdrawing all the days of his life to be able to advance from one spiritual level to the next. We learn this concept from the angels who are the prime examples on how to serve Hashem. In the prophet Yeheskail's famous vision of the Divine Chariot, he describes the angels serving Hashem in this manner: "The chariot (a type of angel) ran backward and forward" (Yechezkal 1:14). The angels first approached Hashem and were only able to tolerate this experience momentarily and then were forced to withdraw, due to the intensity of the spiritual light emanating from Him. We must learn from the angels that there is no direct and uninterrupted path to Hashem. The verse emphasizes this concept as it relates, "So He (Hashem) drove out the man (from the garden of Eden, which represents closeness to Hashem); and He (Hashem) placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim (angels who hinder a man's approach to Hashem), and the flaming sword which revolves (these are confusions of this world), to guard the way to the tree of life (to prevent people from easily reaching Hashem, who is the source of all life)" (Bereshis 3:24). These concepts are relating to us the idea that road of approach to eternal life is one of ups and downs. One must expect to fall many times from the spiritual level one has attained, even after so much hard work, and fail many times in one's life. However, every attempt, no matter how small, to strive for holiness is very precious in the eyes of Hashem.

The concept of having to fall from one’s level is due to many reasons. One reason, as stated above, is that a person cannot tolerate for long periods of time the light of Hashem. Such periods of light which can be attained through prayer, performing mitzvos, and learning Torah. Another reason is that if a person were to become too spiritual and detached from this world, he would be unable to spiritually elevate the physicality of this world. The spiritual elevation of the world can only be attained through being involved in this world. Yet another reason is that a person would become comfortable with the level he had attained, and would not be driven to advance further. Therefore, Hashem throws the person down to feel distance from Hashem, to induce him to work even harder and attain even higher spiritual levels. A person, for example, can work hard to overcome a negative trait, and then all of a sudden he fall back into the bad trait after feeling that he had conquered it. The evil inclination comes to trick a person into thinking that he has failed. What happens is that a person has reaches the next level of holiness and encounters the stronger evil forces of the next level which are guarding the higher level's gate. The evil forces of the higher level are stronger than the previous level's evil forces, to parallel the person’s having grown spiritually stronger. Thus, the delicate balance of free choice is maintained as one grows spiritually. The evil resistance one encounters is proportionately equal to the spiritual success he has attained. Therefore, what a person experiences as a fall can actually be the result of attaining a new level of holiness.

Rabbi Nachman taught that everyone must go through this process throughout his entire life, including all the great tzadikim, who also experience all these things. The difference between someone who attains spiritual success and becomes a tzadik and one who doesn't is that a tzadik never gives up despite his failings and his falls, since they are to be expected. The person who doesn't become spiritually successful is a person who has been fooled to think that after he fails that Hashem doesn't want his service any longer, and he gives up. The verse tells us that before Adam sinned, "the Lord Hashem took the man, and put him into the garden, to work (l'avod) it, and to keep it" (Bereshis 2:15). After Adam's sin his mission had not changed: "Therefore the Lord Hashem sent him (Adam) forth from the garden of Eden to work (l'avode) the ground from which he was taken" (Bereshis 3:23). Both before and after his sin, Adam spiritual mission on earth was to work to elevate this world. What had changed were the physical conditions under which man was required to spiritually work this earth. Before the sin, he was in the comfort of Gan Aden. After his sin, he had to rectify this world under the much harsher conditions of this world. Adam was strong and a tzadik and he continued in his job of rectifying the world, despite his downfall.

The same is true of the Jewish people. At first they were given the mission to spiritually elevate the world. They inherited this mission from Adam, from the ideal conditions in the land of Israel. After they sinned and were driven out from Eretz Yisroel, their mission had not changed, only their physical location had changed. Instead of rectifying the world from the bliss of Eretz Yisroel, they were now required to rectify the world in much harsher conditions of the exile. In fact there were some Jews who thought that the exile meant that the Jewish mission had been terminated, and that Hashem had, chas v’shalom, rejected the Jewish people. Yechezkial the prophet told these people to continue serving Hashem, for they were still His people. It is clearly mentioned in dozens of verses that Hashem will redeem His people, who He was forced to send into exile temporarily due to their sins, and never rejected them. During the long exile there were and are many Jews who have made the mistake of giving up and embracing all kinds of movements alien to the path of Hashem as it was given at Mount Sinai.

Rabbi Nachman taught that many people fail to strive to spiritual heights because they think that a tzaddik is naturally born a tzadik, and doesn't go through any problems at all in attaining his high spiritual level. People think that tzadikim are naturally perfect without ever having failed spiritually at all. In truth, every person including the greatest of tzadikim have failed spiritually many times. Rabbi Nachman in his many talks with his students told of his own failures in his quest to reach spiritual heights. He emphasized that he reached his high level only because he didn't give up when he failed, and that it was not at all the case that he reached his high level because he never failed. Therefore, we can understand the famous teachings of Rabbi Nachman to always be happy. A person, even though he has short-comings and experienced failures, can still reach his spiritual goals no matter how many times he has failed. A person must pass through the narrow bridge of the trials of this world, but in the end everyone, due to Hashem's abundant mercy, will reach his spiritual goals, so the main thing is not to be afraid of one's failures. Therefore, there is no such thing as despair in this world. Rabbi Nachman also taught that people err in thinking that if a tzadik sins he is no longer a tzadik. This is not so, as the Gemmorah in Brachos talks about tzadikim sinning and assumes that immediately after committing a sin that they repented and still remained tzadikim.

Avraham was forced to leave Eretz Yisrael soon after his arrival there. Every person must be an expert in coming close to Hashem and an expert in falling away from Hashem. When one falls due to the circumstances of this world and is forced to go into the mental exile of Egypt, feeling distant from Hashem as Avraham had done physically, one shouldn't condemn Hashem in one's heart feeling that Hashem has let him down. One must be aware that Hashem is Just and that His sole intention in placing a person in difficult circumstances is only for one's benefit. Avraham’s going to the most spiritually impure place on earth—-Egypt-- right after he had reached the holiest place on earth—-Israel--was Avraham's, and is every person's, experience of life. Right after reaching spiritual heights of one's own individual spiritual level, one experiences a fall. Nevertheless, Avraham withstood his test so well that he was able to spiritually elevate the entire land of Egypt. His fall from the spiritual heights as well as a common person's fall was and is brought about by Hashem, so the low places of this world can be elevated spiritually. When a person, after having fallen to the low places of this world, climbs out of these low places, he takes all the good found in the place where he has fallen up with him. Jews are born into irreligious families; people fall away from religion and then return; non-Jew’s convert to Judaism. Avraham himself was born into a rasha's family. All these situations are brought about by Hashem so the low spiritual places of this world can be elevated by those people who have fallen to these places when they ascend to holiness.

Rabbi Nachman teaches that the ups and downs of every person's spiritual struggle is hinted at in the verse, "and Avram went down to Egypt (spiritual impurity)" (Bereshis 12:10). After Avraham's fall into the impurity of Egypt, "Avram went up from Egypt(impurity)" (Bereshis 13:1). Avraham, as well as the average person, reached and reaches new spiritual heights after a downfall. This concept is implied by the verse which teaches, "And he (Avraham) went on his journey from the south to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at first' (Bereshis 13:3). "To the place of the altar, which he had made there at first, and Avram called there on the name of the Lord" (Bereshis 13:4). "Even now (after returning from his downfall into Egypt) Avraham called there in the Name of the Lord" (Rashi). This teaches us that neither Avraham nor any other person should be diverted from the good path, no matter what has happened in his life. Everyone is required to "call upon Hashem" no matter what crimes and mistakes he has made and return "to the place of the altar (the place of closeness to Hashem), which he had made there at first".

"There was a famine in the land (of Israel)." (Bereshis 12:10)

Everyone is forced to go out and encounter the obstacles of this world due to his financial needs. "There was a famine in the land", a need to earn a living. "And Avram went down to Egypt" refers to the toil and effort in making a living, which can greatly endanger a person. A person can get lost in the physicality of this world (Egypt), in one's legitimate necessities. The verse however emphasizes that "Avram went down to Egypt". The word Avram is emphasized in this verse. This tells us that "Avram" refers to a typical Jew who is like Avraham who sanctifies the place of where they have fallen, as the verse teaches "Avram came up from Egypt". May we all merit to come up from our personal and universal Egypt as Avraham was able to do Amen.


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