WHEN THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAY

When God commanded Avraham to leave his birthplace and go to “the Land that I will show you” (12:1), our forefather did not hesitate nor question the order. On the contrary, he immediately picked up and began his journey, as it says two verses later, And Avraham went as the Lord had spoken to him. All of the commentators on Pirkei Avot (5:3) agree that this is one (if not the first) of the ten trials that Avraham faced, and passed, on his way to becoming the first Patriarch of the Jewish people.

In many places in his commentary on the Torah, the Ramban develops the theme of מעשה אבות סימן לבנים – the deeds of the Patriarchs are a sign for their descendants. It therefore behooves us, the descendants of Avraham Avinu, to better understand the test of Lech Lecha and try to apply it to our own lives.

I am sure (or at least I hope) that after recent events many people are thinking about aliyah more than ever before. The problem is that it is much easier said than done. People are so rooted in the Diaspora that it is hard to leave. It is not so simple to close down a business, sell a house or a practice, uproot children from familiar surroundings, leave family and friends behind, and start all over again. Not to mention the financial burdens, language issues, etc. etc.

I would therefore like to quote three ideas that may help make the move a little bit easier. Firstly, we must understand that, in the long run, it is in our best interest to live in Eretz Yisrael. When God commanded Avraham to go forth, He said, I will make you into a great nation; I will bless you; I will make your name great; and you will be a blessing (12:2). R. Zalman Sorotzkin comments in Oznayim LaTorah:

I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A GREAT NATION: This is a sign for his descendants. One who is unsure whether he should immigrate to Eretz Yisrael must first think about the good of his nation. It is impossible [for Am Yisrael] to be a great nation outside its Land. This is true both quantitatively – for the lands of our enemies consume us – and qualitatively, for the Shechinah does not dwell in Chutz LaAretz. However, it is good to move to Eretz Yisrael even for one’s own benefit, for HaShem has commanded the blessing there, [as it says], I WILL BLESS YOU – that is, with money, for our money in Chutz LaAretz is not ours. Foreigners consume it; they murder [us] and inherit [our possessions], as they did to six million Jews in Europe. I WILL MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT: The wisdom of the wretched, Diaspora Jew is despised. The Gentiles pay no attention to it. And if a Jew invents something new, which cannot be ignored, they publicize it in the name of the nation… saying, “So-and-so the German or Frenchman invented such-and-such.” But if you invent something in Eretz Yisrael, I will make your name great – i.e., your Jewish name.

The Netziv gives us some practical advice on how to make sure we make it to the Holy Land. As quoted above, immediately after receiving his marching orders, Avraham Avinu set out on his journey: And Avraham went as the Lord had spoken to him (12:4). The Netziv claims that the phrase “as the Lord had spoken to him” does not mean what it usually means. Rather:

It means [that he left] immediately, while God was still speaking. He did not wait to take care of all the necessary preparations. He left immediately, so that the selling of his estate and the like would not prevent him [from going altogether]… He left his wife and other family members in the city until they sold everything. [Meanwhile] he journeyed slowly. Then, after he already left the city and began his journey, his men took care of everything, and then they all caught up with him. It then says, Avram took [Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew and all their possessions] (12:5)… After he began his journey and knew that nothing would prevent him from actually going, he saw fit to worry about his money… In the beginning, however, he estimated that staying back to protect his money could undermine the whole trip. He therefore decided to leave immediately, no matter what. This is an important rule to learn for all mitzvot.

Granted, in our day and age it would be very difficult to do exactly as Avraham Avinu did, but the basic idea is still valid and very important. Those who try to make aliyah on the “ten- (or even five-) year plan” usually never end up coming. You have to do it as soon as possible, because the longer you wait the harder it is. But more importantly, you must do things that lock you into aliyah. You must begin the journey right away, even though you might walk slowly once you have begun. This could mean always talking about aliyah, picking a profession that is geared for Israel, renting instead of buying a house, etc. etc.

Even with these and other pieces of advice, making aliyah is not easy. Some people might be daunted by the challenge and think that they can never do it. R. Chayim of Volozhin teaches otherwise. The Mishnah states, “Avraham Avinu was tested with ten trials, and he stood up to them all” (Avot 5:3). R. Chayim comments in his Ruach Chayim (ibid.):

Here it says, “Avraham Avinu,” while [in the previous Mishnah] it says, “[There were ten generations] from Noach to Avraham,” without the word Avinu. The explanation is based on the verse: A righteous man walks in his innocence, fortunate are his children after him (Mishley 20:7). A tzaddik works hard to achieve good character traits, and they become like second nature to his children, who can achieve them with little effort. This is apparent from the fact that many simple Jews sacrifice their lives to sanctify God’s name. [They are able to do so because this trait] is ingrained in us from our father Avraham, who let himself [be thrown] into the fire of Kasdim for the sake of his beliefs. Similarly, [the purpose of] all ten of the trials was to straighten the path for us. Also, a person’s sudden awakening to go to the Holy Land stems from the test of Lech Lecha…

No one can claim that making aliyah is too difficult. Every Jew has in his blood, in his very make up – his spiritual genes, if you will – the ability and wherewithal to leave his birthplace and his father’s house to go to the Land that God has already shown us.

Reprinted from Eretz Yisrael in the Parashah by R’ Moshe D. Lichtman

Daily Archives: October 25, 2017

Lech Lecha

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