1. The Unique Introduction of Avraham
The portion of Lech Lecha—go for yourself—begins to tell us the story of Avraham in detail. Immediately, two striking issues present themselves as we start reading. The first is: who was Avraham? The Torah records that Hashem said to Avraham, “Leave your land, leave your birthplace, and go to the land that I will show you.” Unlike the previous parsha, where Noach is introduced as a righteous man, a tzadik tamim—a perfect tzadik—the Torah gives us no such description for Avraham at the end of Parshas Noach. There is no mention of any special characteristic or unique quality that sets Avraham apart. Instead, the Chumash simply mentions some background about his father, his family, and his wife. While the commentators and midrash—rabbinic teachings—provide extensive background about how Avraham discovered God at a young age and describe his spiritual journey in great detail, none of this appears in the actual text of the Torah itself. The narrative begins with Hashem’s command to leave his land, but offers no explanation as to why Avraham was chosen.2. The Significance of Hashem’s Choice
This omission is not accidental. The commentators, including explanations from the Rebbe, teach that this is very precise and intentional. It comes to teach us something fundamental about how the Jewish people began. Although Avraham lived before matan Torah—the giving of the Torah—he is considered the first Jew and our ancestor because he recognized God and began what would become the Jewish nation. Unlike Noach, who represents all humanity (Bnei Noach), Avraham represents the Jewish people specifically. The lack of any description about his greatness in the Torah text itself teaches us that our relationship with Hashem does not depend on our achievements or special qualities. Just as a parent’s love for their child does not depend on performance or attributes—a parent does not choose their child based on intelligence or looks—so too Hashem’s love for us is inherent and unconditional. If the Torah had described Avraham’s greatness as the reason for his selection, it would imply that only those who reach such heights are worthy of Hashem’s love and connection. But by omitting these details, the Torah emphasizes that Hashem chose Avraham simply because He wanted to connect with him and his descendants. We are loved by Hashem just because we are His children.3. Unconditional Love: Both Directions
There is another important point in this opening narrative. When Hashem tells Avraham to go forth, He promises him many blessings: “I will make you into a great nation,” “I will bless you,” “You will have wealth,” and so on. Yet when we read further in the parsha, we see that reality seems quite different from these promises at first. Upon arriving in Canaan, Avraham encounters famine, his wife Sarah is threatened by Pharaoh in Egypt, and they face real danger. Despite having received explicit promises from Hashem that things would be good for him, Avraham finds himself facing hardship after hardship. This raises an important question: if God promised good things, why do difficulties arise? And if God had only said “go,” perhaps we could understand it as a test or challenge—but here there were clear promises. The answer lies in understanding that just as Hashem’s love for us is unconditional—not dependent on our righteousness or success—so too our connection to Hashem must be unconditional. Even when things do not appear good on the surface, even when challenges arise despite promises of blessing, we do not abandon our relationship with God.4. Faith Through Challenges and Ultimate Fulfillment
Avraham did not turn around during these hardships and say: “You promised me wealth and greatness but now I have nothing! I’m done.” Instead, he remained steadfast in his faith and connection to Hashem regardless of circumstances. This models for us how a Jew relates to God: our bond is not dependent on seeing immediate reward or blessing. Eventually we see that all of Hashem’s promises were fulfilled for Avraham—and even more than what was initially promised. He became exceedingly successful in all areas of life. However, sometimes there are periods of darkness or challenge along the way before reaching fulfillment. This teaches us that our connection to God isn’t based on whether we see open goodness at every moment. We remain connected no matter what happens along our journey.5. The Enduring Bond Between Hashem and Israel
In summary, Parshas Lech Lecha opens with two foundational truths: first, Hashem loves us unconditionally as His children regardless of our level or merit; second, we love and remain connected to Hashem regardless of whether life appears easy or difficult at any given time. This internal bond has defined Jewish history from its very beginning through all generations. Despite persecutions and suffering throughout history—tzaros—sorrows—the Jewish people have never let go of their faith or their prayers (davening) to Hashem. Our connection remains unbroken no matter what happens externally. Similarly, even when we have failed spiritually—moral failures like the golden calf (egel hazahav) or other mistakes—Hashem has never exchanged us for another nation nor withdrawn His love from us.6. Applying Lech Lecha To Our Daily Lives
This lesson is relevant every day: just as Avram set out on his journey at God’s command without knowing what lay ahead, each day we embark on our own personal lech lecha. Even if we don’t immediately see blessings or understand why challenges arise along our path, we should not despair. We trust that ultimately everything will work out for good because Hashem has chosen us with an everlasting bond. We hope and pray that blessings come openly from the very beginning without delay or hardship—nachas—satisfaction from children,sholem bayis—peace in the home, parnassah—sustenance, brius—health, and all good things for ourselves and all Israel in this new year.May we merit only revealed good always!