Comments on: On the Weekly Torah Portion of Lekh Lekha http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/10/08/the-weekly-torah-portion-of-lekh-lekha/ Thu, 23 Mar 2017 00:47:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.6 By: Igal http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/10/08/the-weekly-torah-portion-of-lekh-lekha/#comment-9 Tue, 15 Oct 2013 17:52:06 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=63#comment-9 Soli, thanks for your interesting insights!

]]> By: Soli http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/10/08/the-weekly-torah-portion-of-lekh-lekha/#comment-8 Tue, 15 Oct 2013 01:03:55 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=63#comment-8 Following up with the repeated theme idea that Abraham is commanded to leave everything, לך-לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך , he’s not ordered to go OUTWARDS but inwards, אל-הארץ אשר אראך into himself, the question is what is he to find in within himself that is worth the search and if G-d tells him that he’ll show him, what are the hints that he shows us in giving us within the Torah through Abraham, as a model for our own self search?
It’s obvious that Lot is not having the best influence on Abraham and to be more exact, one can see that whenever Lot is mentioned, there are bad outcomes. From the arguing over their sheep’s grazing to their separation and to his choice to settle in Sedom, where he drags Abraham into Bitul Torah and battle against the 3 kings. But the cursor for his role comes in noticing that whenever Lot is mentioned, there is mention of wealth, רכוש , in one form or another. Thus it is clear that the association of Lot with wealth has something to do with it, yet wealth by itself is not necessarily a bad thing, as we see that Abraham himself is blessed with wealth.
The answer seems clear to me in the repetition of Abraham’s departure: Where Abraham leaves twice.
The first: וילך אברם כאשר דבר אליו יהוה
The second: ויקח אברם את-שרי אשתו ואת-לוט בן-אחיו ואת-כל-רכושם אשר רכשו ואת-הנפש אשר-עשו בחרן ויצאו ללכת
What separates between the two is Lot’s intervention: וילך אתו לוט
In other words, Abraham’s response to G-d’s order was direct and without any hesitance. וילך אברם – Like an arrow, uncomplicated and unburdened by any consequence, such as his wealth. But Lot’s involvement, bringing with him all the references to other factors, complicate Abraham and delay him, forcing him to associate himself with Lot and his bad influence.
I believe that this is the message that we learn in the Parasha V’sv our own life: following my own dictum: “when there is clarity – there is no choice”. So if we ask the same question again: i.e. – why is Abraham commanded to leave everything, and what is the lesson in being directed to go INWARDS, the answer is to find what is essential and clear for us and to follow it without any looking back to our burdens, that tie us and stop us from moving into our true selves.

As an exercise, we should ask ourselves, what have we ever done exceptionally, outside the obvious steps in our destiny, such as having a family, job, house etc…, that responded to a calling or some form of clarity, ever, in our life.
Shavua tov.

Soli Yisrael Foger – Architect

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