ON THE PARSHA Parshas Lech-L'cha by Dovid Lipman, Israel Year 3, No. 3 Introduction This parsha, which explains how our father Avraham became bound in a unique relationship with Hashem, has six parts: 1) Avram makes Aliyah 2) Egypt and Riches & Lot Leaves 3) War among Kings 4) Covenant of the Parts 5) Hagar and Yishmael 6) Circumcision 1. Avram makes Aliyah -- 12:1 [Beg.] to 12:9 Hashem appears to Avram, telling him to leave his family and travel to a strange land, which turns out to be C'na'an (Israel), where He then promises to give the land to Avram's children. Avram, after arriving with Sarai, his nephew Lot, and his students from Charan, begins teaching about Hashem throughout the land. The World of the Supernatural (12:5) "...and the souls they made..." Rashi says it refers to converts, and Targum Yonasan renders, "they converted". Onkelos renders it "they dedicated to the Torah", which at first glance seems the same - but why didn't he also use the term "converted"? R' Tzadok of Lublin says these converts later returned to idols (based on a Midrash), but their souls return as the future converts in all generations. So Onkelos hints, Avraham dedicated these souls to the Torah - so permanently, that although they left the ways of Hashem, their souls were bound to return. (See Ohr HaChayim plus Igra D'Kala for an interesting twist on this.) 2. Egypt and Riches -- 12:10 to 13:4 [Aliyah 3] Lot Leaves -- 13:5 [Aliyah 3] to 13:18 [end, Chap. 13] A famine strikes C'na'an, and Avram escapes to Egypt, where he refers to Sarai as his sister (a then-common term for a niece) so her suitors (for she was beautiful) would deal with him (as opposed to killing him), and he quickly becomes wealthy from gifts. But when king Par'o himself has Sarai abducted, Hashem punishes him with plagues and Par'o sends them back to Israel with even more gifts as a sign of good will. Lot, also rich, has trouble dealing with Avram's strict monetary policies and leaves at Avraham's suggestion, settling in wealthy but wicked S'dom. A Time to Laugh (12:12) "...and they will kill me..." Why would murder be better than simply committing adultery in the first place? But this is how someone without Torah acts. And it's still true: If a Palestinian "police officer" was irked by an Israeli, and it's against the law for the officer to arrest him, what would the officer do? (Okay, maybe don't laugh) 3. War among Kings -- Chap. 14 After 12 years of loyalty, S'dom and its four neighboring cities rebel against the King of Eilam, who comes with three kings of other world powers to put down the rebellion. The four kings defeat the five, and Lot is taken captive. A refugee tells Avram, who mobilizes his students. Avram miraculously defeats the four superpowers, saves Lot, and takes some reward for his students only, becoming world famous for his heroism, selflessness, and G-dliness. The Principles of Shabbos (14:23) "From a thread to a shoelace..." What's the logic of this idiom? The Chizkuni says the "thread" is a thread a girl uses to tie her hair (a hairband), so the idiom is the property version of "from head to toe". His source: Shab. 57a, about the Rabbinic prohibition to wair a hairband without an "Eiruv". (See M.B. 303:2 that women of all ages are included.) Since a hairband may have to be removed on Shabbos away from home, it and the like were included in the general prohibition of wearing jewelry which might be taken off and carried without an "Eiruv". However, the Shulchan Aruch (303:18) concludes in support of the practice that this does not apply where no true public domain exists (i.e. most average cities), but even there it is preferable not to wear such articles wherever carrying is not permitted (Mishnah Berurah in B.HL. there, on "ki"). 4. Covenant of the Parts -- Chap. 15 Hashem promises Avram that he will indeed have children, and they will inherit the land. Hashem agrees to Avram's request for a formal sign of promise, and Avram slaughters three animals and two birds, and he splits the animals but not the birds, symbolizing Jewish survival. Hashem tells Avram that slavery will precede his childrens' taking the land, and they both (Avram and a fire denoting Hashem) pass through the animal parts, formalizing the promise. Do You Remember? - from the files of On the Parsha 1. Why was it appropriate for Avraham to chase off the vulture? 2. Why didn't Hagar answer the question "Where are you going"? 3. Why did Avraham immediately wonder at the promise of children? 4. What color is "Yarok"? 5. Hagar and Yishmael -- Chap. 16 Sarai, still childless, gives her Egyptian maid Hagar to Avram to promote fertility, and Hagar becomes pregnant. Hagar looks down on Sarai over this, and with permission from Avram, Sarai banishes her. By a desert well, three angels come to Hagar and promise her a child named Yishmael, but tell her to lower herself before Sarai, and she returns and has a son, whom Avram indeed calls Yishmael. Answers to Do You Remember? - Parshas Noach 1. Even a non-Jew may not perform an abortion, as is hinted, "one who kills a man within a man". 2. Nations preserve ideals eternally: "the public never dies". 6. Circumcision -- Chap. 17 [End] Hashem makes a two-part covenant with Avram. First, he promises Avram that a great Nation will come from him and inherit the land permanently, and He changes Avram's name to Avraham to fit this new role. Second, He explains that Avraham's future will come from the old and barren Sarai (though Yishmael's future is also great), as she will have a son a year later, and He accordingly changes her name to Sarah. This covenant is sealed by the command to circumcize all males, starting at eight days, which Avraham promptly fulfills. From the Gemara (17:14) Sanhedrin 59b - The extra "he broke my covenant" adds that the descendants of Ketura (Avraham's other wife) also must circumcise themselves.