Parashat Lech-Lecha

Oddly, in the next verse, the Torah seems to describe that same journey a second time. Verse 12:5 describes how “Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot… and they set out for the land of Canaan.” Beyond just seeming repetitive, this second description of the travel is particularly troubling as it identifies the land of Canaan as their destination, even though we were told from the outset that God did not reveal to Abram where he would be going. As such, we have two questions: Question #1: Why does the Torah describe Abram’s travel twice? Question #2: Why does the second description seem to include the knowledge of where they were traveling to?

Many commentators noticed these textual difficulties and offered a variety of answers. Among the more simple explanations is that the first verse describes their mental intent to travel, even without knowledge of where they were going, and the second verse describes their actual journey in real-time. The Ramban, however, suggests a pretty radical idea, namely that these two verses are actually describing two different travels to the land of Canaan. Verse 12:4 was Avram’s first journey with Lot, after which he returned to his home in Haran for several years. Verse 12:5 was Avram’s second journey to Canaan, which was together with Sarai and all of their belongings. What would be the purpose or need for two separate journeys to the land of Israel?

A dear friend and teacher of mine, Rabbi Chagai Raviv, offered a beautiful suggestion. Avram’s first journey to the land of Canaan was meant to instill within him a pure and simple love for the land, an opportunity to envision what the ideal life and experience could be like there. His second journey, together with all of his family and possessions, would understandably be more difficult, stressful, and, occasionally, dangerous. It would be during those difficult times ahead that his first inspiring journey would become so important and valuable. Only after seeing and feeling what the ideal could be like would Avram have an internal sense of direction and commitment to building what he knew was possible.   

I spoke to my sister who lives in Israel last week. She described to me that she feels sad, she feels angry, and she is falling in love all over again with the Jewish people. Following the horrific and devastating losses that we suffered as a people on Simchat Torah, we have united as a Jewish people around the world like never before. Now, equipped with this vision of what Jewish unity sounds, looks, and feels like, we have even greater clarity of what we are fighting for as a people who have forever loved their land.

Shabbat Shalom