Timeless Torah

It all begins in this week’s Biblical portion, the saga of Abraham, the first Jew. And if we but scratch the surface of this ancient tale, we will discover that it is the story of every Jew. According to our sages, the road traveled by Abraham on his way to becoming the father of the Jewish nation is the path that every Jew must take.

The first command given to our forefather is referred to in Hebrew as, “Lech Lecha” which literally translates as, “Go to yourself.” An interesting concept, but how does one actually journey to one’s self? In Kaballah, the Jewish mystics clarify the statement by reminding us that man is a composite of body and soul. The body constantly requires external gratification and pleasure to motivate it. These physical thrills vary from person to person. Some find themselves gravitating toward money, others to power, and more than a few of us, to hedonistic pursuit, “Go for yourself” as Rashi, the medieval French commentator elaborates, “Go for your own good and benefit.” Which brings us to the question; if the consequences of the journey were to be good and beneficial, what exactly was the test?

Our Sages reveal to us that Abraham’s odyssey was not his alone. His trials and tribulations are not only those that occurred to the first Jew, they are to be found in the life of each and every Jew. Our task as parents and educators is often a difficult one, compounded with the frustrating knowledge that what we demand of our children is only for their benefit. If only they would realize, we tell ourselves, how much they have to gain from following the path that we have outlined for them.

That is the test. Instead of our children dragging their feet, having to be coerced, there would be a spring to their step as they anxiously wait to begin their trek through life. Abraham passed the test with flying colors. Now it’s our turn!