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Our Lives As Service

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

H

Brett Mountain

ow are we to be a blessing in
Brooks. Citing the author of a book
a world that can feel politi-
about worry, Brooks counseled direct
cally charged and tumultu-
action, instead. “[A]ction takes us out
ous? “Lech lecha mei artzecha … v’h’yei of ourselves. Worry, like drama, is all
brachah — Go forth from your native
about the self. … If you’re worrying,
land … and be a blessing,” our Torah
you’re spiraling into your own narcis-
tells us (Genesis 12:1-2). Although
sistic pool. But concrete plans and
God is speaking to Abram in the text,
actions thrust us into the daily fact of
we are invited to hear these words
other people’s lives.”
addressing us today.
Taking action on behalf
One midrash suggests that
of others will help us heal
the answer lies in turning
from national election anxi-
inward, teaching that we can
ety. Interestingly, there is an
best understand Torah as say-
alternative interpretation of
ing, “Go forth — to yourself.”
lech lecha that addresses this
This is because of how the
head-on. The S’fat Emet, an
Hebrew works. As a phrase,
18th-century Chasidic master
lech lecha might be translated
named Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh
as an emphatic way of saying Rabbi Aura
Leib Alter, read lech lecha as a
Ahuvia
“betake yourself.” However,
mandate to “Go forth — from
parsed into individual words,
yourself.”
lech is the imperative form
In the world of Torah inter-
of “go,” and lecha literally means “to
pretation, puns are fair game. The S’fat
you.” Thus, this teaching suggests that
Emet arrived at this creative reading
our capacity to be a blessing in this
by means of punning on the word artz-
world is best fulfilled when we know
echa, “your land,” which he remarked
ourselves internally and, as a result,
sounded fairly close to the liturgically
cultivate our inner qualities so we can
redolent phrase ratzon shelcha, mean-
“be a blessing.”
ing “Your will.” Were we to apply this
Although this is a compelling
phrase to our Torah text, we would get
teaching, I’ll be reading this phrase
“lech lecha mi ratzon shelcha,” mean-
differently this year because of the
ing “Go [out] from yourself, from your
way this year’s election has unfolded.
[personal, ego-based] will.” This turns
Op-ed columnist David Brooks put my the prior midrashic interpretation on
thoughts into words when he stated,
its head; instead of turning inward, the
“Anxiety is coursing through American command lech lecha now means that
society. It has become its own destruc- we ought to be seeking outward.
tive character on the national stage.”
This year, I choose to read lech lecha
(“The Epidemic of Worry” by David
as the Divine mandate to go out of
Brooks, New York Times Opinion
ourselves. Discovering that the world
Pages, Oct. 25, 2016). Not only have I
around us doesn’t revolve around us —
felt this worry, but so have my friends, but yet needs us … that’s when we can
family, congregants and acquaintances. become a blessing.
Is turning inward the best way to
Aura Ahuvia is rabbi at Congregation Shir Tikvah
alleviate our worry and bring about
positive change? Not exactly, suggested in Troy.

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STRONGER COMMUNITY

November 10 • 2016

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