NOVEMBER 7 • 2019 | 41
Spirit
torah portion
N
ow God said to
Avram: ‘
Go out from
your country, from
your family and from your
father’
s house, and go to a
land that I will show you.’
”
Genesis 12:1
Avram. Go! Lech!
One word, two
letters is all that it
takes to get your
journey started.
For some, it may
seem sudden that at
such an advanced
age you are willing to
leave your comfortable
surroundings, your
friends and family
to set forth in such a
radical new direction.
However, others,
those who have
read between the lines,
understand that this decision
has been some time in the
making. This action is really
a culmination of much
thought and quiet acts of
rebellion against the status
quo.
You never were one to sit
idol-ly by. You have always
been able to see what others
could not and hear that small
still voice inside you that was
inaudible to others.
This gift is both a blessing
and a curse. It is a blessing
to feel so confident in your
unique world perspective
that you have the courage
to express counter-culture
beliefs, even though your
understanding of the world
is different from anyone else’
s
around you.
It also feels like a curse
at times to be unable to be
like everyone else and just
go with the flow. You are an
innovator who is generations
ahead of his time, literally
shouting into the wilderness.
Yet, over time, it will be your
world view that prevails.
For a leader, you are
an interesting mix of
contradictions. On one hand,
you have never been much of
a rule follower or a listener
to those in authority. You are
much more of an iconoclastic
stone-throwing innovator
who is willing to question
everything. Just because
this is how it has always
been done isn’
t good
enough for you. You are
willing to continually
push accepted norms
of behavior and societal
assumptions until you
reach an answer that
resonates with your
understanding of the
world. On the other
hand, as you chase
this new idea, you
are willing at times to
suspend your questioning
and put rigorous curiosity
aside to acquiesce to the
demands of this inner voice.
You do this even if it
means moving away from
home. Will you do this even
if it means sacrificing your
own children and family
while, on the other hand,
challenging authority in
the pursuit of justice for
total strangers? This work-
family life balance is really
something that you are going
to need to watch out for.
You are now told to go but
are not yet provided with
directions or a destination.
You are being asked to
walkest by the ways before
there is yet even a Waze
to guide you. Your only
direction is to go to a land
yet to be shown. And yet you
are determined to go.
So, what are you waiting
for? Go already! Go and
fulfill your destiny! Go and
be a blessing!
Jeffrey Lasday is the Chief Operating
Officer of the Jewish Community
Center of Metropolitan Detroit.
Parshat
Lech-Lecha:
Genesis
12:1-17:27;
Isaiah
40:27-41:16.
Jeff Lasday
A Picture Of A Leader
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