When you Choose Shabbat, you choose to learn that every Shabbat is different and special. This week I learned about Parashat Lech Lecha, the third weekly Torah portion in the annual cycle of Torah readings. The words Lech Lecha can be loosely translated as, “Go Out”, “Leave” or “Get Out You”; a command from G-d addressed to Avram and Sarai who at the time were residents of Ur Kasdim in Mesopatamia( Iraq).
According to Wikipedia,, Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1 through 17:27) contains a total of 6,336 Hebrew letters, 1,686 words, 126 verses and 208 lines of the Torah Scroll. This week’s Torah reading includes many moving parts; G-d’s calling of Avram, Avram’s passing off his wife Sarai as his sister and dividing the land with his nephew Lot, Sara’s tensions with her maid Hagar and Hagar’s son Ishmael and the covenant of circumcision (brit milah), to name a few. In the Torah portion, G-D makes a covenant with Avram promising to make his descendant’s a great nation and changes Avram’s name to Abraham, who has a child with Hagar and names him Ishmael. G-d them promises Abraham’s barren wife, Sarah, that she will have a child.
Rabbi Michael D Klein of Temple Torat Emet offers his insights on this week’s Torah reading, Lech Lecha for Shabbat October 28,2023 aka the 13th of Cheshvan 5784:
We know the exact year that Avraham, the founder of the Jewish faith, was born. The Sages, of blessed memory, pinpoint Avraham’s birth at 1948 years after creation (No small coincidence!). Avraham was 52 years old, four years after the story of the Tower of Bavel dispersion, and six years before the death of Noah, when he began to share the belief in one G-d, Hakadosh Baruch Hu. With the emergence of Avraham and Sarah, the ages of desolation and idolatry had begun to be challenged and the age of the emergence of Torah had begun!
Avraham and Sarah did not win the status of “founders of a new way of life”, by default. The Torah relates that they were tested ten times, culminating in the command by G-d to sacrifice Isaac. The original plan by G-d was to give the Torah to all the descendants of Noah, but unfortunately, they were considered unworthy and after another ten generations of violence (Hamas), Hashem realized that Torah could only be transmitted to the world by those who were worthy of receiving and accepting its message of morality, justice, truth, and faith. This may sound chauvinistic, judged by modern standards, but the reality of history has proven, time and again, that only the Jewish people have survived the onslaught of wars, oppression, and hatred with the same message to share. The trials of Avraham and Sarah and later generations demonstrate the conviction that man’s highest goal is to accept Divine wisdom as the sole abiding truth transcending the ages.
Questions to Discuss:
- Why is the city of Shechem (Nablus) mentioned first upon Avraham and Sarah’s arrival to Canaan?
- Who is Melchitzedek mentioned in this Sedra?
- How do we know that Amrafel mentioned in this Sedra is actually Nimrod mentioned in Sedra Noach?
- What mistakes of Lot cause his capture and subsequent close contact with the wicked cities of Sodom and Gamora?
Rabbi Michael D. Klein attended Yeshiva College of South Florida and served as Torah Reader, Hebrew teacher, Chazzan and spiritual leader of various synagogues throughout South Florida. In January 2015 he became Ritual Director, Bnai/Bnot Mitzvah instructor and 7th grade Hebrew instructor for Temple Torat Emet of Boynton Beach. In October 2019 he was accepted into an accelerated track and received his shicha from Yeshiva Adath Wolkowisk and has been the Rabbinic leadership of Temple Torat Emet since August 2020. In September of 2022 he was appointed Rabbinic and Spiritual Advisor of the Florida Region of FJMC.
Choose Shabbat; choose to celebrate, to light candles, sing songs and learn a little Torah.
This moment of Jewish Learning is brought to you by the Florida Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. We are part of a confederation of over 200 Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods representing over 20,000 members across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Mumbai, India and beyond. Learn more about how your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood can affiliate with the FJMC at: https://www.fjmc.org/content/affiliating-fjmc.
The Florida Region of the FJMC serves the needs of affiliated Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods throughout the State of Florida. Get to know more about the Florida Region of FJMC and our growing network of dynamic Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods on our website www.FloridaRegionFJMC.org and please visit and LIKE our Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/FloridaRegionFJMC.
About Post Author
