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For A New Beginning,
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Shabbat Lech Lecha: Genesis 12:1-17:27;
Isaiah 40:27-41:16.
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ost people think of the the quandary of the King of
Book of Genesis as the Kazars. 'Would it not have been
quintessential book of better for God to give approval to
beginning. This is right all humanity? Why to one person
alone?"
and so because of the obvious.
The text ofLech Lecha provides
In Genesis we learn of the ori-
gin of the universe, the world and the answer and the lesson. If we
the pinnacle of creation, human- wish to change the world, we will
ity. Although we are accustomed fail if we set out to walk with all
to this familiar litany, in point of humanity. We will fail if we be-
fact Genesis contains not one se- lieve we can work initially even
with one family. Success in
quence of beginnings, but three.
The first beginning is the one changing the world can only be
so familiar to us all. God must achieved by starting small, with
one person, oneself
have had such high hopes
If we desire to perfect
for Adam and Eve, for
the world beyond our-
everything that was cre-
selves, we must change
ated was placed at their
and improve the world
feet. They would be in
within ourselves. Start
partnership with the Di-
small, Lech Lecha teach-
vine.
es, and work outward
Such faith in humani-
ty, such idealism, must RABBI B RADLEY from there.
BLEE FELD
Now we find upon
surely be commended at
least for expecting so SPECIA L TO THE keen observation of the
much potential goodness JEWIS H NEWS text that the opening lines
from the crown of creation. But of this portion present a paradox.
•Adam and Eve and their descen- The Torah's words to Abraham
dants were failures. Rejection of are: "Get yourself out from your
authority, banishment, murder, land, your birth place, your fa-
idolatry, immortality and disgrace ther's household, and leave for the
marked this initial attempt at or- place which I will show you."
This sequence of travel appears
dering society and achieving the
ultimate goal of universal good- reversed from a literal journey.
Wouldn't we first depart from our
ness and right.
In the beginning, with this first home, then leave our hometown,
beginning, humanity was a fail- and only then emerge from our
land? Why is the Torah's order
ure.
A second start was made with backward?
The answer may be found in
Noah. If God could not perfect hu-
manity all at once, then perhaps the commentary Haketav Ve-
an effort could be made with one hakabbcda, which teaches that if
family, Noah's family. For all the it is a spiritual journey upon
remaining flesh of the earth was which we embark to change the
corrupt and unworthy of life and world, then the order is natural
the flood would provide a clean and correct. First, we must depart
from the general environment of
slate to begin anew.
But Noah's descendants were morality in which we find our-
a disappointment, too. Human- selves. From there we would
ity, now split into fragments, emerge from the place of our ear-
marked by quarrel, strife and an ly spiritual training in order to
inability to communicate, had de- enter a higher level of thought.
scended into chaos. With this sec- Then, finally, we would separate
ond beginning a disaster, after the from the most intimate connec-
flood God had no alternative but tion of all: our parents' house-
to start again. This time an at- holds.
Our transcendence would see
tempt to perfect the world and or-
der society would be made us move from the general first
beginning with one worthy indi- and then having made progress
toward a new horizon, as Abra-
vidual, Abraham.
Beginning number three of the ham, leave behind our most in-
Book of Genesis might be mis- timate and secure place of contact,
construed as a divine act of sin- our parent's house of origin.
Thus Lech Lecha speaks to
gular privilege and yet herein lies
the most significant lesson Gen- each new generation of Abra-
esis teaches on how to order and hams and Sarahs. If we want to
improve the world. Yehuda HaLe- change and improve the world,
vi, in his philosophical work, The we must work with the only po-
Kuzar, raises this issue through tentially successful change agent
available, oneself and only then
Bradley Bleefeld is rabbi in
move beyond to impact and en-
residence of Temple Emanu-El.
lighten others. El