This Week’s Torah Portion: Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ (Genesis 12:1−17:27)
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אַבְרָ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ ל֑וֹט וְאַבְרָ֗ם בֶּן־חָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּצֵאת֖וֹ מֵחָרָֽן׃
Then Avram went forth, as Adonai had instructed him, and he went forth with Lot. Avram was seventy-five years old in his going out from Haran… (Genesis 12:4)
Avram and Sarai (later renamed Abraham and Sarah), were 75 and 65 years old, respectively, when they left everything they knew behind to start a new life. Our Torah teaches us that it is never too late to take a leap of faith and go forth into the fullness of ourselves!
Parsha Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ Torah Summary:
Abram, Sarai, and Lot go to Canaan. (12:1-9)
Famine takes them to Egypt, where Abram identifies Sarai as his sister in order to save his life. (12:10-20)
Abram and Lot separate. Lot is taken captive, and Abram rescues him. (13:1-14:24)
Abram has a son, Ishmael, with his Egyptian maidservant, Hagar. (16:1-16)
God establishes a covenant with Abram. The sign of this covenant is circumcision on the eighth day following a male baby’s birth. (17:1-27)
Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אַבְרָ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ ל֑וֹט וְאַבְרָ֗ם בֶּן־חָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּצֵאת֖וֹ מֵחָרָֽן׃
Then Avram went forth, as Adonai had instructed him, and he went forth with Lot. Avram was seventy-five years old in his going out from Haran… (Genesis 12:4)
Avram and Sarai (later renamed Abraham and Sarah), were 75 and 65 years old, respectively, when they left everything they knew behind to start a new life. Our Torah teaches us that it is never too late to take a leap of faith and go forth into the fullness of ourselves! Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ