Torah Portion of the Week
Building Character through the Themes of the Weekly Torah Portion
וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל־אַבְרָם לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ׃
Va-yo-mer A-do-nai el–Av-ram lekh–l’kha me-ar-tz’kha u-mi-mo-lad-t’kha u-mi-beit a-vi-kha el–ha-a-retz a-sher ar-e-ka.
Now the Lord said to Abram: “Go for yourself from your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.”
Genesis 12:1
Lech lecha means “go to yourself” or “go forth within yourself.” These are the words that God spoke to Abraham when He told him to leave his father’s house and go to a Land that He would show him. Abraham took the journey, pressed forward, and became a great nation. No one else prior to him did what he did.
Acquiring what you’ve never had requires doing what you’ve never done.
In Abraham’s lifetime, he made many journeys and experienced much; and God was always with him. When Abraham finished the long race that he began, he finished it like a winner. Do you realize how far he journeyed…and without a car? He went from Ur of the Chaldeans, all the way up to Haran, then to Shechem; then he went all the way down to Egypt, and eventually came back to the Land. Abraham had the spirit of a finisher.
Keep Going Forth
Are you going through a test? A struggle? Do you feel completely exhausted, disheartened, or weary? Whatever tests or struggles you might be going through right now, if you will endure, the struggles will cease. Say it aloud: “I am going to endure to the end. I have a reward coming.”
Like Abraham, when you experience tests or adversity, you will overcome and be rewarded, with God’s help. We all go through adversity. Adversity is meant to get your attention prior to your promotion. Don’t focus on what you are going through; focus on what you are going to. Accept with love the tests and tribulations you are going through. Happiness lies within.
Your battle is only for a season and won’t last forever. Stay strong, stay encouraged, finish the race, and you will be rewarded. Tell yourself that you are going to go all the way to the finish line. Focus on what’s ahead of you; focus on the advantages and benefits of your endurance. Like Abraham, know that every battle has a purpose and is for a reason.
If something has come your way that appears to have temporarily stopped you, know that it is only a temporary season. Don’t get wiped out by events and situations that try to tear down your self-esteem and self-confidence. Even if your situation seems impossible, be confident that you are going to come out blessed. The Almighty is well aware of the tests, struggles, and adversity that you face, and nothing is impossible with Him. You are never alone. Keep going forth, keep going forth, keep going forth—lech lecha.
Pronunciation Guide for Transliterated Hebrew Words
| a | [a] as in arm |
| ai | [ai] as in Thailand |
| e | [e] as in red |
| ei | [ei] as in eight |
| i | [i] as in ski |
| o | [o] as in score |
| oi | [oi] as in oil |
| u | [u] as in rule |
| ui | [ui] as in gluing |
| ch/kh | [ch] as in the Scottish loch |
| g | [g] as in good (not as in giant) |
| tz | [ts] as in hats |
| ‘ | short “eh” or “uh” sound |
The Hebrew Scriptures in this text have been derived from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC), and the English translation is based off of the JPS 1917 Tanakh.
Simchat Torah Beit Midrash®
