God tells Abraham, “Go for yourself (lech lecha) from your land, from your relatives, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1). The Torah portion commences with a curious phrase, “lech lecha” which translates as “to or for yourself”, which Rashi says is for his benefit. How is leaving behind everything that Abraham knew good for him? Additionally, the meaning of the sentence does not require this extra word. Since nothing in the Torah is arbitrary, why did God use this seemingly superfluous word, ‘lecha’ ‘for you’ when telling Abraham to go?

Lesson:

If you were told to go do something for yourself, perhaps you’d go on a vacation or shopping spree, have a decadent piece of cake or getting a manicure. Most likely it would not entail leaving your home and family to go to a place completely unknown to you. Yet, God uses this extra but beautiful word, lecha, for you, to tell us that his leaving behind his birthplace is indeed for Abraham.

Modern marketing deceives us into thinking that acts of indulgence and luxury are really ‘for us’. We need a break, we deserve it, we worked hard for it, etc. Lech lecha illustrates a beautiful idea that that which is truly for us, our highest selves, is often times not easy and requires hard work. This instance is one of Abraham’s ten trials, each one drawing out his highest potential, culminating in becoming Abraham, forefather of all Jews.

We know that everything God does is for the good, but during challenging situations it is hard to focus on and understand how it is for our benefit. Often times, we may not see why we needed this particular challenge. However, God is loving and compassionate Who loves us more than our hearts have the capacity to love. As such, when we let go and acknowledge that everything is ‘lecha’, directly given to me for my benefit because there is nothing that would be better for my purpose and mission in this world, we are able to unleash the blessing sometimes wrapped in ugly packaging. We can strengthen our faith and complete trust in God, know that He is in charge, and only does what is the best for me, and with that outlook we will pass all of our tests, just like Abraham.

Exercise: Think of a particular situation that was difficult for you to go through. Now think of one positive thing that came from that experience; it could be recognizing your own strength, refining a particular character trait, a shift in perspective, or meeting someone new through that experience.