D’var Torah for Parshat Lech Lecha

Judaism begins with Abraham. Our tradition tells us that Abraham was the first person to realize the truth about the unity of God, and this is why God chose him for the covenant. The Midrash relates many stories about Abraham’s development and discovery of monotheism. We learn that he recognized the harmony of the universe and realized that this pointed to a single Divine Source and Power. He saw a house lit with many candles and realized that such a structure required an owner and builder. How much the more so the beautiful world brightly lit by sun, moon, and stars. And of course we know the famous story of Abraham in his father’s idol shop.

His father, Terach, left him in charge of the shop while he left on some other business. Abraham took a hammer and smashed all the idols but one, placing the hammer in its hands. When his father angrily demanded to know what happened, Abraham replied that the idols began arguing and destroying one another until only one remained. Terach responded with angry incredulity, “Idols can’t speak or move!” Abraham replied, “Then why would you bow to dead idols?”

So much for the monotheism, but the stories about Abraham also reveal his character and what it means to serve God. Abraham is a righteous man. He is graciously hospitable to guests. He is loyal to his family and willing to risk himself to save his nephew. He spurns the wealth offered to him after the war of the kings, and he is overwhelmingly generous to others. We’ll read next week how he was even willing to advocate for mercy towards a city of cruel and vicious people. But what stands out even more is his willingness to respond to God’s commands immediately. Abraham may have had his faults, but he also had many virtues.

Abraham and Sarah’s commitment to ethical monotheism is the reason why God chose them for the covenant. The Midrash tells us that they even acted as missionaries, with Abraham instructing the men and Sarah teaching the women. When we read in 12:5 that they came to Canaan with the souls they made in Haran, it is a reference to these converts to the worship of God alone. This is why all converts to Judaism are considered the spiritual children of Abraham and Sarah.

The covenant gets formalized twice in this parsha. First with the covenant of the pieces and second with the covenant of circumcision. When Abraham is commanded to circumcise it is all-inclusive: himself, his son Ishmael, and all the males of his household, including servants, present and future. Everyone who worships God and does what is right is included in this covenant.

However, women obviously cannot be circumcised. How, then, are they included? We learn later in Deuteronomy, that we are supposed to circumcise our hearts. This circumcision is clearly metaphorical, and the truth it points to is the need for us to increase our intimacy with and awareness of God. To circumcise our hearts is to love and serve God by acting justly and loving mercy. This metaphorical circumcision can be practiced by anyone and is by far the more important of the two.

The story of Abraham and Sarah teaches us the value of inclusion, even when they fail to live up to it. Sarah famously mistreats Hagar, causing her to attempt running away and then eventually to be cast out. Abraham is distraught by the loss of his oldest son Ishmael. When God informs him of the coming birth of Isaac, Abraham asks God to allow Ishmael to live before God. God promises to make Ishmael a great nation in his own right, and he is still included in the covenant of circumcision, even though Isaac is identified as the future leader of the covenant community. Even when some people seek to exclude, God includes. Even though physical circumcision is necessarily restricted to men, God provides an even more important circumcision that is open to all.

This parsha opens with the famous words “Lech Lecha,” which in literal translation means “Go to yourself.” Abraham had to go to himself before he left for Canaan because, as Jewish Science teaches, God is within us. When we seek to find God, we must first circumcise our hearts and go within in order to reach the promised land of intimacy with God, God-consciousness.