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Spiritual
Greatness
Through
Patience

Parshat Lech-Lecha:
Genesis 12:1-17:27;
Isaiah 40:27-41:16.

Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus

T

he portion of Lech Lecha is a
and spiritually (ito) and not merely in
kaleidoscope of intriguing and
physical proximity (imo), as here. At this
exciting sequences — from
juncture, however, the change in Lot is
the attempted rape of Sarah in Egypt
merely hinted at.
to inter-family conflict to a major war
The next division, which begins 'And
to God's mysterious covenant with
also Lot, going with Abram, had sheep,
Abraham.
cattle and tents ... And the land was not
Are these disparate sto-
sufficient to carry both of them"
ries held together only by
leaves no room for doubt. Israel
a time-line, or is there a
has become too small for the
conceptual scheme placing
two of them — Abram's mission
them in a higher context? I
isn't materialistic enough for
believe that an examination
Lot, who has no desire to per-
of the portion's subdivisions
fect the world; he wants to own
will provide the uniting
it! So he leaves Abram's land
theme as well as Israel's most
and Lord in favor of the lush,
important, though often
Rabbi Shlomo Egypt-like Sodom to pursue
overlooked, role among the
Riskin
materialism rather than spiri-
nations.
tuality, momentary vice rather
The portion opens with God's com-
than monumental vision.
mand to Abram to move to the Land of
The great message of Abraham's new
Israel: "I shall make you a great nation,
name ("Neither shall thy name any more
I shall bless you, and I shall make your
be called Abram, but thy name shall be
name great; you shall be a blessing. I
Abraham; for the father of a multitude
shall bless those who bless you, and
of nations have I made thee"). The next
those who curse you I shall curse; all
division deals with Melchizedek (identi-
the families of the Earth shall be blessed
fied by the Midrash as Shem, son of
through you" (Gen.12:2-3). God is here
Noah), the king of Jerusalem, who rec-
promising Abram two things: national
ognizes the universal God of peace. And
development and a spiritual greatness
the rest of the portion deals with God's
that will encompass the world. Abram
covenant with Abraham — His promise
is presented as a world leader who will
of an heir who will make Abraham's
influence all the families of the Earth.
progeny light the world like the stars of
Next the text highlights Egyptian
heaven.
exile as being fraught with both physi-
The structure and content of our
cal danger (Sarai is seized) and spiritual
Torah portion teach us why and how Lot
danger (the materialistic blandishments
cannot be considered a suitable heir for
of Egypt). The Hebrew family survives
Abraham's mission.
the near-rape intact, but Egypt seems to
We must wait many generations for
have had a corrosive effect on Lot: "And
Lot's return to the fold, in the person of
Abram came up from Egypt, he and his
his descendant Ruth (offspring of Moab,
wife and all that were his, and Lot next
the son born to Lot and his daughter).
to him ..."
Apparently God has cosmic patience,
This is very different from when
and so must we, if we are to be His emis-
the family first set out for Israel: Then,
saries. *
Lot was mentioned right after Abram
and Sarai (that is, before their posses-
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah
sions), and went with Abram physically
Stone and Chief Rabbi of Efrat Israel.

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