Two Lech-L’chas – Vayyera
Last week’s sidra and this week’s both feature God calling to Abraham in the words, Lech-l’cha!
The literal meaning is “Go for yourself”. In classical English, the message is “Betake yourself”.
Rashi points out at the beginning of last week’s reading that the l’cha tells Abraham that if he goes where God wants him to, it will be for his benefit.
The reason for this assurance may be that in both cases Abraham is being asked to do something so difficult that he is reluctant to obey. God understands his predicament and says, “If you do as I command everything will turn out all right”.
In the first case the patriarch is being told to leave his home behind and set out on a destiny which might prove hard to bear.
In the second case he is being told to take his son onto a mountain and make him into an offering – another impossible thing to ask of an elderly father who never thought he would live to have a son. By obeying God, everything might turn to ashes.
In both cases Abraham had the courage to overcome his trepidation and go ahead.
God of course was right. In the end things turned out well, and the future was blessed.
