Lech Lecha 2015

· In Lech Lecha, Hashem does a lot of speaking to Avraham.

· Let’s listen to what Hashem says to Avraham, to get some insights.

· Now Hashem said to Avram: 'Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation.  I will bless you and make your name great; and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and he who curses you, I will curse; and through you, will be blessed all the families of the earth.

· Hashem appeared to Avram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” 

· Hashem said to Avram… “Raise your eyes and look about from the place where you are, to the north, to the south, to the east, and to the west.  For all the land that you see I give to you and to your descendants forever…  Rise, walk the land through its length and breadth, for to you I will give it.”

· “Fear not Avram, I am your shield, your reward is very great”

· “Look towards the heavens and count the stars if you are able to count them… So numerous will your descendants be.”

· On that day Hashem made a covenant with Avram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land”. 

· “I am Hashem Almighty, walk before Me and be perfect.  I will give My covenant between me and you, and I will multiply your descendants exceedingly… Here is My covenant with you; you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.  No longer shall your name be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham, for the father of a multitude of nations I have appointed you.  I will make your exceedingly fruitful and I will make you into nations;  and kings will descend from you.  I will sustain My covenant between Me and you, and between your descendants after you, throughout their generations as an eternal covenant, to be Hashem to you, and to your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your … residence, all the land of Canaan as an eternal possession, and I will be Hashem to them.”

· “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her by the name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.  I will bless her, and I will also give you a son through her.  I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations, kings of peoples will descend from her…. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Yitzchok.  I will establish My covenant with him, as an eternal covenant to his descendants after him.”

· It’s so emphatic and direct, almost overwhelming.

· What are the main ideas that we can learn from these quotes?

· FIRST: THE PLAN IS ABOUT ERETZ YISROEL

· Hashem has a plan for Eretz Yisroel.

· He has a vision about a mission

· It involves the descendants of Avraham and Sara, who will be numerous, from whom kings will descend, to whom Hashem is giving the land.

· It’s a long range far-reaching plan involving Eretz Yisroel.

· Hashem doesn’t reveal the details of the actual plan here, but He makes it clearer at Har Sinai

· At Har Sinai Hashem says “I want you to be a Mamlechet Kohanim ve Goy Kadosh – a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation.”

· So the first insight is that Hashem has a plan for the descendants of Avraham and Sarah living in Eretz Yisroel who will be numerous, kings will descend from them, and who are being given the land.

· This is not a plan that the Jews made, this is Hashem’s plan. 

· SECOND: HASHEM IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PLAN

· When we look into the lines, we can discern Hashem’s attitude about the plan.

· Hashem is not casual about the idea.

· Rather Hashem seems intense, committed, serious about the plan.

· This is a primary and essential mission for Hashem.

· Sometimes people portray Hashem as stern, dispassionate, cold, distant, judgmental, even authoritarian.

· About this venture that Hashem describes here, He’s is not dispassionate at all, but rather passionate about His vision of His mission.

· Hashem seems excited, focused, fired up, and enthusiastic about this venture with Avraham and his descendants.   

· If you could make an analogy….

· Picture an entrepreneur who is starting a business, who is talking about his plans for how successful the business will be, all the customers it will have and all the products it will make.

· Or like parents who have big ideas about their children’s future.

· They might talk with passion about the future potential of their children.

· Similarly, Hashem is warm, enthusiastic, and passionate about Avraham and his descendants in Eretz Yisroel..

· THIRD: THE JEWS ARE KEY TO THE PLAN

· The Jews are the key and essential players in Hashem’s plan. 

· This plan is to be implemented by the Jews, and only the Jews.

· Hashem makes an eternal covenant, a Bris Olam, with Avraham and his descendants – the Jews – to implement this plan.

· Anyone who is not circumcised is ‘cut out’ from the plan, Korase, meaning cut out.

· The dictionary defines covenant as ‘contract, agreement, undertaking, commitment, guarantee, pledge, promise, bond.”

· Avraham and Sarah’s descendants, through Yitzchak, will be numerous, and will fill the land of Eretz Yisroel, and will be essential players in this venture in Eretz Yisroel.

· The Jews are the essential players in this drama that Hashem has a vision of a mission.in the land of Eretz Yisroel.

· Of course, this doesn’t mean Hashem wants to let the Jews do whatever they want – to the contrary,

· Hashem’s wants the Jews to fulfill His mission and His vision!

· FOURTH: IT INVOLVES THE JEWS TODAY

· Based on the above points –

o The Parsha describes Hashem’s plan for Eretz Yisroel,

o Hashem is enthusiastic and excited about it

o The Jews are the key players in the plan.

· We can surmise that Hashem is excited and passionate about the Jews returning to the land.

· This is relevant today, because we must assume that Hashem has that same excitement today

· I asked a big Rav: doesn’t this imply that Hashem is excited about the fact that the Jews have returned to the land, who can implement Hashem’s plan.

· He responded: that is Torat Emet.

· FIFTH: THE JEWS SHOULD ACCEPT THIS MISSION NOW

· Hashem gave Avraham many promises and incentives, and this applies to the Jews today.

· The Jews should accept the deal, and join Hashem in His vision of His mission.

· Hashem wants the Jews to join with Him now in implementing His vision

· He is offering the Jewish people so much in exchange – it should be a deal that can’t be refused.

· Judaism is not merely a ‘religion’, and it’s not merely about obediently following rules, though it certainly includes that.

· We should share in His excitement

· This is not boring and dry

· Look at Psalm 81 - that we read on Thursdays at the end of davening –

· “If only My people would heed Me, if Israel would walk in My ways.  In an instant I would subdue their foes, and against their tormentors turn My hand.”

· He wants us to share in His enthusiasm

· Hashem described His idea to Avraham.

· May we implement Hashem’s plan now.