Musings on Parshat Lech Lecha

Following are some of the ideas, insights and interpretations that emerge from our weekly Chumash learning group at the Young Israel of Oceanside, Long Island. We cite sources when possible. Some of our interpretations may derive from ideas we may have seen elsewhere, possibly without attribution. Or we may simply have forgotten the source. For this we apologize. I invite your comments, observations and participation.

Overview

Avram’s calling and travels; Avram and Lot his nephew part company; Hashem promises Avram Land; War between Five Kings and Four Kings; Avram rescues Lot; Avram refuses spoils of War; Avram and Malchitzedek King of (Jeru)Salem; Hashem promises Avram Children; Covenant of the Animal Parts;Avram,Sarai, Hagar and Ishmael; Name change from Avram to Avraham;  Covenant of Circumcision; Sarai’s name change to Sarah (princess) and she is promised a child; Avraham circumcises himself and his household.

Themes of Bracha and Bris (Blessings and Covenants)

The opening verses repeat the root word Bracha  (blessing) five times : Avram (and offspring) would be blessed by Hashem; Avram’s very existence will be a blessing to the world; and all people would be blessed as a consequence of their relationship with Avram. Benno Jacob notes the five-time repetition of the word “light” in the opening verses of the Creation story and concludes that Avram’s time --the beginning of the formation of our nation-- is a kind of  creation of a new world, characterized by blessings by man for man. I think that this word light in the Creation story may refer to an unraveling of the chaos that existed then(“shedding light on”). Positive energy--here in the form of Bracha-- is necessary to create, build and progress.

Multiple repetition of the word Bris (covenant) underscores the important and unique relationship that exists between us and Hashem as a foundation of the nation of Israel. These were preceded by the first Bris –the rainbow reaching from earth to heaven—that was a covenant between Hashem and the world.

Avram Ha’evri

·       Avram the Hebrew

·       Avram who came from the other side  of (mayaver) of the river

·       Avram who stood aside from (mayaver)  the pagan culture that surrounded him

·       Avram was thought by his contemporaries to be like a nomadic group known as Habiru,a  people with specialized occupations (mercenaries and administrators), who were considered foreigners. Rabbi Günter  Plaut, who  points to the apparent common root in Habiru and Ivri, speculates that the title stuck even after the Habiru themselves disappeared as an identifiable group

Covenant of the Animal Parts

“After these events, the word of hashem came to Abram in a vision, saying,

"Fear not, Abram, I am a shield for you; your reward is very great."

² And Abram said, "My Lord, hashem/elohim: * What can You give me seeing that I go childless, and the steward of my house is the Damascene Eliezer?"

³ Then Abram said, "See, to me You have given no offspring; and see, my steward inherits me..."

⁴ Suddenly, the word of hashem came to him, saying: "That one will not inherit you. Only him that shall come forth from within you shall inherit you." ⁵ And He took him outside, and said, "Gaze, now, toward the Heavens, and count the stars if you are able to count them!" And He said to him, "So shall your offspring be!" ⁶And he trusted in hashem, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

^I He said to him, "I am hashem Who brought you out of Ur-kasdim to give you this land to inherit it."

⁸ He said, "My Lord, hashem/elohim: Whereby shall I know that I am to inherit it?"*

⁹ And He said to him, "Take to Me three heifers, three goats, three rams, a turtledove, and a young dove." ¹⁰ He took all these to Him: he cut them in the center, and placed each piece opposite its counterpart. The birds, however, he did not cut up.

^II Birds of prey descended upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

¹² And it happened, as the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold — a dread! great darkness fell upon him.

¹³ And He said to Abram, "Know with certainty that your offspring shall be aliens * in a land not their own — and they will serve them, and they will oppress them — four hundred years. ^uBut also the nation that they will serve, I shall judge, and afterwards they will leave with great wealth. ^l5 As for you: you shall come to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶ And the fourth generation shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite shall not yet be full until then."

¹⁷ So it happened: The sun set, and it was very dark. Behold — there was a smoky furnace and a torch of fire which passed between these pieces. ^wOn that day hashem made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descen­dants have I given this land…”

This mysterious incident—the fourth of the seven times Hashem appears to Avraham-- cries out for  interpretation. Nechama Leibowitz cites a number of approaches.

Rashi , citing  a Midrash, understands the imagery as an  answer  to  Avraham’s question regarding what merit will enable  his descendants  to maintain themselves in the Promised Land . Hashem promises that neither his nor his offspring’s misconduct would invalidate the promise because there will be a repentance mechanism in the  form of the Temple and the Karbanot (offerings). Supercommentary  Gur Aryeh indicates that this is not to be taken literally, but refers to the repentance and prayer that the offerings symbolize  that achieves atonement.

Radak sees the divided carcasses as  symbolic of the nations of the world that would ultimately be cut apart  for their treatment of Israel and the bird as a symbol of Israel. The specific animals represent the nations that would drive Israel into exile (Egypt, Greece, Medea/Persia and Rome) and the turtle dove and pigeon that Avraham saves by driving away the attacking birds of prey  refers to Hashem’s deliverance of Israel throughout history due to the merit of Avraham.

Ramban  thinks the animals allude to the three kinds of offerings and the birds of prey represent the heathens who would attempt to attack and destroy these offerings.

Benno Jacob notes that there is no reference in the vision to offerings, to the utensils required , and  to the associated rituals. Furthermore, in the context of what immediately precedes, Avraham seems to be deeply concerned about the near-term outlook, not the longer term picture. His conceptual approach is that the bird  represents freedom; the animals in this imagery are those that were familiar and that the numbers four and three  are significant. The three kinds of animals represent the three generations of servitude that would be experienced soon in Egypt. The uncut bird represents the fourth generation when Israel would be freed. Pharaoh the persecutor is embodied in the attacking birds. His efforts would be frustrated by the merits of Avraham.

Rabbi  H.L. Berenholz