Vertlach
Parshas Lech Lecha
Parshas Lech-Lecha
his life with significance that is truly cosmic
As Abraham’s descendants, we are all in the
in nature. As one strives to achieve these
midst of following a similar journey. We are
goals, he or she discover a new and deeper
traveling to Eretz Yisrael, preparing ourselves
understanding of who he or she really is.
and the world at large for the time when we
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will return to Eretz Yisrael led by Mashiach.
Parshas Lech Lecha
In a very real sense, we are going “to the land
which I will show you.” For the nature of our
people’s path, through the generations, is
one which confounds all students of history.
It is not a chronicle which man would logically
devise or foresee.
Such identification endows a person with a
singleness of purpose that lifts him above
the ascents and descents that usually make
up our Divine service. Most of us have days
of inspiration when we are more focused on
our spiritual goals and other days, when we
And through identifying with this process, a
are more focused on our material concerns.
person develops a unique appreciation of his
Then
or her own self. “I [- G-d -] will reveal you [-
repentance, where we return and try to
the spiritual core which we all possess].”
reestablish the connection.
Through seeing this journey as one’s own and
accepting one’s role, each of us can rise
above his own individual concerns and endow
we
turn
to
G-d
in
teshuvah,
Teshuvah represents a deep bond, for to
forge a connection once one has been
severed, it is necessary to tap a source
deeper than one’s ordinary thought and
identifying Mashiach will be the fact that he
feeling. (For on the level of ordinary thought
will “rebuild the Temple (on its site) and
and
gather in the dispersed remnant of Israel.”
feeling,
the
connection
has
been
severed.) It is necessary to turn inward and
find a point within one’s soul where the
connection is constant. From that inner point,
the conscious connection can be rebuilt.
Implied is that the revelations of the era of
Mashiach are dependent on the building of
the Temple. For the Temple enables G-d’s
presence to be tangibly appreciated in the
Nevertheless, by definition, teshuvah involves
world. This represents the fundamental
a give and take of advance and retreat. In the
difference between the present era and the
era of Mashiach, this will change. The Jews’
era of Mashiach. In the present era, the
Divine
by
connection between the spiritual and the
continuous growth, going “from strength to
physical exists, but even it Eretz Yisrael, it
strength.” Our mindset will be characterized
cannot be perceived in a consummate
by the singleminded dedication to the level of
manner by our physical senses. We know
G-dliness mentioned above. Moreover, it will
these concepts are true, but we don’t see or
have an advantage over the commitment
feel them. In the era of Mashiach, the
displayed by the righteous men of the
spiritual reality will be manifest in the
previous
Temple
service
will
be
generations.
characterized
For
they
were
and
from
the
Temple
this
swimming against the tide, fighting the
awareness will spread throughout Eretz
prevailing gestalt of their era. In the era of
Yisroel.
Mashiach, by contrast, the world will be
refined and will assist us in carrying out our
Divine service.
In the present era, even when our people
live in Eretz Yisrael, their lives appear
similar to the lives of other nations. With
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Parshas Lech Lecha
the coming of the Redemption, this will
change. We will behold in actual fact the
Living in Eretz Yisrael is fundamental to the
unique bond between G-d, His people, and
era of Mashiach. One of the criteria for
His
land.
These
concepts
will
not
be
abstract spiritual truths, but the realities of
to Eretz Yisrael, but will permeate all
our lives.
existence. But this will begin in Eretz
Yisrael, because it is the land where the
Our Sages tell us that in the ultimate Future,
G-dly bond between the physical and the
Eretz Yisrael will encompass the entire world,
spiritual will be given full expression.
i.e., the bond between the spiritual and the
physical will not be confined to the Temple or
Story
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Kfar Chabad
This week's section tells us of G-d's eternal
promises. True, it is connected with Circumcision,
covenant (Bris) with the first Jew, Abraham, thus
but Circumcision is not unique; other nations do it as
marking the beginning the Jewish people.
well.
But it arouses a big question.
Why didn't G-d give Abraham some unusual talent or
G-d swore to Abraham that his seed would
inherit the Promised Land, and be as
birthmark, or even a book or something to make him
and his seed different?
multitudinous as the dust of the earth and the
And to make things more difficult, Avraham was
stars of the sky. But later in the Torah when G-
called "HaEvri", which means "from the other side"
d defines exactly who these offspring are, it
implying that he and the Jews after him would be
doesn't sound so promising:
strangers and the entire world would be against
Firstly, only the seed of Yitzchak and Yaakov
them.
were to be considered Jews, thereby excluding
If so, what is the good of this covenant? And what
the myriads of Yishmail and Asav (who are a
secret power does it contain that has preserved
son and a grandson of Abraham, and with
Jewish identity for over four thousand years?
whom it would have been easy to fulfill these
big promises, due to their hugh numbers).
Then G-d says that someone is only counted as
Jewish if their mother is Jewish (or who
converts, which is rare). In other words, each
Jew would have to know for sure that he stems
from an unbroken chain of mothers till
Abraham!
This Bris (covenant) is also very vague; it
doesn't seem to contain ANYTHING except
I want to explain with a story:
Stanley was never really happy being a Jew. He
learned in Yeshiva (Talmud academy) just like his
father and grandfather before him, but it just seemed
like a lot of work and no rewards. There was always
someone brighter and wittier than he, and he just
never seemed to get the attention he craved.
Finally one day when walking home from
and completely unaware he was being observed, ate
Yeshiva he happened to meet one of the priests
the entire thing, skin and bones included, until
from the local church, and they got into a
nothing was left.
conversation.
The monks gleefully ran to report what they had seen
One thing led to another, and it wasn't long
to the Bishop, who accordingly ordered that Brother
before they were sitting on a park bench, and
Stanley be brought immediately into his office to
Stanley was spouting off his Torah insights and
stand charges. But to the amazement of the monks,
philosophies. The priest invited him to come
when he arrived and heard the accusations, he flatly
visit his school, and a few days later they were
and vehemently denied everything.
sitting together before the priest's teacher. The
teacher listened, and then heaped so many
praises upon poor Stanley that he became
insane with pride and joy.
A few weeks later he disappeared from the
Yeshiva, went to another country where his
parents wouldn't see him, converted to
Catholicism, and enrolled in a monastery.
Stanley had begun a new life. He excelled in his
studies, and in no time he had mastered the
major texts, and even became the favorite of
the Bishop that ran the monastery. But there
was only one problem...the other monks there
hated his guts.
They couldn't stand his clever answers, his
attention seeking quips, and his stupid smile.
Eventually they became so obsessed with
getting him ousted, that they actually bored
secret peepholes in the walls of his room with
the hope of catching him in some sinful act.
And it worked! According to the Church law, it
was forbidden to eat meat on Fridays. So you
can imagine their joy when one Friday, before
"What do you think I am, some sort of infidel? A
traitor, a heretic!? Why, the very thought of eating
meat on Friday is detestable to me. NEVER! I swear by
all that is holy that it is a lie! May I burn in Hell for all
eternity if it is true! I ate NO MEAT....It was a potato."
His performance was so convincing that even his
accusers almost believed it, and it goes without
saying that the Bishop, despite their protests,
swallowed the entire story.
Now the monks were out for blood; he may have
slipped through their fingers once...but never again!!
It took a few weeks of careful planning and patient
waiting, but the next time Stanley locked his door
and took out the box, they were ready.
There was one monk hiding in his closet, one behind
the drapes, and another under his bed. As soon as he
put that chicken leg in his mouth, they leaped out
from their places with tremendous speed and
precision, and before he knew it he was bound and
gagged with the bone sticking out his mouth, being
carried, struggling and wiggling to the Bishop.
"Your holiness" said the monks. "We caught him in
their very eyes, Brother Stanley locked himself
the midst of..."
in his room, took a box out from under his bed,
The Bishop was almost in tears; his beloved Stanley
opened it, put it on his table, pulled up a chair,
sat down, took out a clean handkerchief, and
tucked it in his collar for a bib.
Then from the box he ceremoniously took out a
chicken leg, held it up, looked at it lovingly,
was a two-time sinner, and a liar to boot. "Brother
Stanley, Brother Stanley, How could you?!"
But Stanley vigorously shook his head and tried his
best to shout what was obviously a denial.
"UMMFFF FOUMMPPFF NU UUU" Was all he could
holy anointing spoon, sprinkled holy water on the
say. But it was enough to arouse the Bishop's
meat three times and declared:
sense of justice, and curiosity.
"Release him!" declared the Bishop. "Even a
doomed man has a right to defend himself".
They tried to object, but finally did what the
Bishop asked.
Brother Stanley indignantly stood up, removed
the bone from his mouth, threw it angrily to the
floor, swallowed the meat, cleared his throat,
raised his hand majestically in the air, put the
other to his heart, looked the Bishop deep in
the eyes and said with the utmost sincerity.
"Your Holiness. I am INNOCENT! I swear by Holy
Script that I did not, nor will I EVER eat meat on
Friday!"
The monks were astounded; their eyes were
bulging out of their sockets with disbelief.
"But, B-B-But Brother Stanley" stammered the
Bishop, "WE SAW YOU!! I myself just saw you eat
meat!? How...?"
"You are a potato! You are a potato! You are a
potato!"
In the book called the Kuzari it explains what
Avraham got with this covenant.
It says that there are five levels of creation: mineral,
plant, animal, human and Jew.
This is what Avraham received at his brit; a new
identity; a Jew can never be anything other than a
Jew. And it is that awareness, that 4,000-year-old
covenant, was burning in the heart of Stanley. He
knew down deep that just as a chicken leg can't lose
it's identity, so he can never sever his Jewish 'Brit'
with G-d.
This is what G-d meant when he promised that the
Jews will be as numerous as the stars and the sand.
Because this covenant in the physical flesh causes
even the Jewish BODYS to be eternal as will be
revealed in the Raising of the Dead. It is to this that
G-d was referring and it is then that G-d's promise
"Allow me to explain" Said Stanley.
will be fulfilled.
"I will never forget that glorious day that I first
But in addition, the Brit gives each Jew the power and
entered the fold. Remember? I was taken to the
ability to advertise and bring a change in the entire
Holy Anointing Chamber and you, you yourself,
world NOW. Namely to bring the entire world to
your holiness, took the silver anointing spoon,
observe the NOAHIDE COMMANDMENTS; to believe in
dipped it into the Holy Water and sprinkled it
the Creator who loves His creation, gave the Torah,
on me three times, saying "You are a Catholic!
and will soon bring the long awaited redemption.
You are a Catholic! You are a Catholic!"
"So?" said the Bishop, "So what's the point?"
"But once in a while" resumed Stanley, "I got
this urge to eat meat on Fridays. It got to the
point that it simply bothered me so that I
couldn’t think or pray. So, what did I do?
Every Thursday evening I bought a chicken leg,
took it down to the anointing room, took the
The Lubavitcher Rebbe knew what he was saying
when he predicted that very soon all of G-d's
promises to Avraham will be fulfilled, and we will see
with our eyes how all the Jewish suffering of
thousands of years will make perfect sense with the
arrival of...
Moshiach NOW!