The Greatest Journey?

In the canon of parshot, this week’s Lekh Lekha is pretty high on the most famous list. Mention this portion, and many people, regardless of practice, observance, synagogue attendance, or other faith marker will have at least heard of it, and probably a vague recollection of its contents. Traditionally, this is the first section of the Torah (and only three weeks in!) setting apart the Jews (or whatever they were called) as a people – their leader/forefather/trailblazer Abram is promised a people, a nation.

“Go forth,” comes G!d’s command to Abram, compelling him to leave what he knows for what he doesn’t, to give up the support of family for a nomadic lifestyle. There’s a promise for land, but no direction beyond “I’ll show you.” This is followed by a smattering of even more undetailed promises for great things, blessings from G!d and protection from his hand. But how comforting is this in competition with leaving your father and other relatives – in an age far before convenient long-distance communication?

Well, that doesn’t matter much, because Abram goes, but with his nephew Lot in tow. I’ve always been comforted by the fact that our text leaves out emotion and thought to a far greater extent than others. Readers are forced to struggle with the story by contextualizing it to the greater narrative we’ve been given in the Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim – the Tanakh. We have a wider context today with which we also seek to understand the words of our scripture. Who is this Abraham? Bruce Feiler wrote an entire book about this character, and his words call to mind the recent politics and fighting between peoples of varying faiths:

“The great patriarch of the Hebrew Bible is also the spiritual forefather of the New Testament and the grand holy architect of the Koran. Abraham is the shared ancestor of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He is the linchpin of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is the centerpiece of the battle between the West and Islamic extremists. He is the father – in many cases, the purported biological father – of 12 million Jews, 2 billion Christians, and 1 billion Muslims around the world. He is history’s first monotheist.
“And he is largely unknown.”

Feiler goes on in his book entitled Abraham to explore the character we first encounter in Lekh Lekha, and his conclusions bring more questions, which is my favorite method of learning. I bring up his book because I learned a lot from reading it. He explores the character that is lurking under every narrative henceforth, and is blatantly mentioned over and over.

This portion covers the three major covenantal passages between G!d and Abraham: the first in chapter 12, the second in chapter 15 (a fascinating text in the study of ancient covenants), and the third in chapter 17 (when his name is changed from Abram to Abraham). In between these accounts, we learn about the splitting up of Abram and Lot, read the first sister-wife with Pharaoh, are introduced to the still clouded character of Melchizedek, and in their haste for Abram to see the fulfillment of the promise of offspring, Hagar bears him his first son, Ishmael. The idea of patriarchs and matriarchs is established and confused in the parsha, a prophetic figure (who only appears twice in the Tanakh and in the New Testament book of Hebrews) is barely introduced, and the Arab-Israeli conflict sees its most ancient genesis. This is a heavy portion.

So where does the discussion go from here? There are endless resources which teach about these chapters, by no means offering an exhaustive set of views. Varying religions understand these passages differently, but Abram’s character is virtually universally upheld. However, these stories, when read closely, offer to readers a far from perfect character in deed, but one who procures G!d’s continued blessing beyond his seemingly questionable decisions. We can learn from this that we are removed from this period in history and don’t possess all the necessary tools to analyze the outcomes, but also that G!d is beyond human explanation, although he desires to be in relationship with his creation. In both the book of Jubilees and the Mishnah, the stories read in this passage are viewed as trials Abram had to endure. This sets up a structure of understanding a character who has often been lauded as a hero of the faith. And is this the wrong view? No, it is the story of a shared beginning for at least three faiths.

So, we may think we know Abram/Abraham, Sarai/Sarah, or even G!d – but this week’s parsha teaches that there are endless depths to the ways we should think about them. As readers who interact with the text, we should “Lekh Lekha” on our journeys of continual searching for understanding of the backgrounds, beginnings, and battles for our faith.

Question this story, ask who Abram and Sarah are, and seek G!d this week with the encouragement of the Isaiah 40 haftorah passage:
“Why do you say, O Jacob,
Why declare, O Israel,
‘My way is hid from the L!rd,
My cause is ignored by my G!d’?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The L!rd is G!d from of old,
Creator of the earth from end to end,
He never grows faint or weary,
His wisdom cannot be fathomed.
He gives strength to the weary,
Fresh vigor to the spent.
Youths may grow faint and weary,
And young men stumble and fall;
But they who trust in the L!rd shall renew their strength
As eagles grow new plumes:
They shall run and not grow weary,
They shall march and not grow faint.”