Friday, October 26, 2012

Parshat Lech Lecha

-->

In this week’s parsha, Lech Lecha, Avraham is commanded to leave his home and travel to an unknown destination. Hashem said, ‘Lech lecha- Go to yourself.” Hashem is telling Avraham to leave all that he knows behind and enter the unknown. He is testing Avraham yet again (this is Avraham’s third of ten tests). In actuality, what Hashem is telling Avraham when He says, ‘lech lecha- go to yourself’- Hashem is telling Avraham to find himself. Hashem wanted Avraham to leave everything he had known and reestablish himself in the world. Because he had developed and reached such a high level it was time for him embark upon a new journey and implement all that he has learned.

Similarly, in our own lives, Hashem too tells us, ‘lech lecha,’ explore yourself and take leaps towards new discovery. Throughout our lives, as we develop more spiritually and religiously, our growth tends to get impeded upon our inability to take that ‘leap of faith.’ Rather than implementing a life more connected to Hashem, we get scared and sometimes let that fright take us in the opposite direction! What we can learn from Avraham is to have the utmost trust- bitachon- in Hashem, and know that these struggles are tests from Hashem. Hashem wants to see how far we are willing to go for Him, and how far we are willing to go for ourselves

Moreover, this should push in the direction of self discovery. This parsha should push us to contemplate who we are. What is our potential is this world? What steps can we take towards developing that potential? These were all questions Avraham undoubtedly asked himself and these too are questions we should constantly be asking ourselves! May Hashem give us all the clarity to uncover our inner most essence and what our potential in this world is!

Don't let embarssment get the best of you!

-->
 
This week’s parsha is Parshat Lech Lecha. We know that Sarah Emeynu wasn’t able to conceive children. Sarah wanted to make her husband, Avraham happy by giving him the most incredible gift on earth, a child. So, she decided that she would give her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, to marry her husband, so that way he could have a child with her. Rashi says, Sarah made that choice so that she could benefit from Hagar by raising the child in the way of Hashem. She then told Avraham and he listened to Sarah and he married Hagar.
Hagar immediately got pregnant and started to look at Sarah in a less respectful way. Hagar felt that Sarah was superficial and just looked spiritual on the outside, since she couldn’t get pregnant right away like Hagar. Everyday Hagar would humiliate Sarah. However, Sarah Emeynu didn’t respond back to her, she kept silent. After a while, she decided to get rid of Hagar and remarry Avraham.
The Targum Yonatan says, that Sarah Emeynu came to Avraham Avinu and said; ‘look how much I sacrificed for you. Hashem said Lech Lecha; you should leave not me. I gave my maidservant Hagar to you and now she is embarrassing me to no end. I was violated twice, by AviMelech and the Plishtim.’ She continued, ‘with all the pain and suffering that I have undergone, I am certain that Hashem broke the judgment against me of not having children.’ Avraham agreed and remarried Sarah.
We learn an incredible lesson from Sarah Emeynu. She knew that she had a bad decree set for her; however, she knew how to change the bad decree. The tool to change your fate is to accept all the embarrassment and suffering people bring upon and not respond back, but rather to swallow your words. Let the embarrassment be an atonement for your sins.
The Gemara compares those who accept the embarrassment, to the light of the stars that shine forever. “The embarrassment of sin atones for sin.” - Rabbi Eli Mansour
Next time someone embarrasses you, don’t say anything back because it’s your lucky day, your bad decree will be erased! That’s exactly what happened with our mother Sarah. She knew she had to go through atonement in order to erase the decree. There after, she was pregnant!
Shabbat Shalom!
By: Esther Shamayev