Art by Sefira Lightstone
A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY
This was an eventful week. For many it was devastating; for others, it was cause for celebration. It seems we at least can be sure that our country is as divided as ever. I’m not going to speak directly to the election itself, but to a lesson I hope we all can take at a time like this.
This week is a special one in terms of Torah portions. Parshas Lech Lecha begins the story of Abraham and the story of the Jewish people. There is so much that can be learned when we look at the life of Abraham. He was a pioneer, a trendsetter, the founder of monotheism, and pretty much the first “innovator” mentioned in the Torah. But I’d like to focus on the command given to him by G-d that truly dictated his life, and, as his descendants, ours. Lech lecha means “go to yourself.” What does that mean? Where did Abraham need to go? He had accomplished a great deal by that point. He had already realized, contrary to popular opinion in those times, that there was a supreme G-d, something higher that dictated the entire world around him. And yet, G-d says, “Go to yourself.” To have a real relationship with G-d, we are told, we must find Him within ourselves and our life situations. We must not be burdened (sorry!) by our background, our personality, or even our own intellect; G-d wants us to transcend all these and trust Him that something bigger is at stake. And when we do that, we can impact society in miraculous ways. But we need to go “from“ our comfort zone “to” our highest purpose as a divine emissary. Yes, we’ve made great strides, we’re accomplished, we’re talented and have a great reputation. But still, if we have a breath of life within us, we need to get out! We need to go forth, grow forth, and this will not only benefit the world around us for all time, but it will benefit us! It’s for “yourself.” Now more than ever, we need to strive to be our best selves because we are all G-d’s ambassadors, just like Abraham. And the best part is that when we “go” that route, everybody wins! Good Shabbos!