[Par-lite] For Parsaht Lech Lcha

[Menachem Leibtag]

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     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag

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              PARSHAT LECH L'CHA

 

     Almost 'out of the blue', at the
beginning of Parshat

Lech L'cha, God appears unto Avraham,
commanding him to travel

to the 'promised land', while blessing him
that he will become

a great nation. However, contrary to what we
would expect, the

Torah never tells us WHY he was chosen; nor
does it tell us

why HE was chosen!

     In contrast to Parshat Noach, where the
Torah informs us

at the outset WHY Noach was chosen [i.e."for
he was a

righteous man..."(see 6:9)]; in Parshat Lech
L'cha, for some

reason, the Torah never informs us concerning
why God chose

Avraham Avinu.

     Did Avraham Avinu simply win a 'Divine
lottery'?

     In this week's shiur, we discuss the
Torah's presentation

of God's choice of Avraham Avinu, in an
attempt to understand

the literary method that the Torah employs to
why Avraham was

chosen, and its thematic significance.

 

INTRODUCTION

     Our series of shiurim on Chumash is
based on the

[logical] assumption that each book of the
Bible carries a

unique theme; and to identify that theme, one
must study the

progression of its primary topics.

  In our shiur on Parshat Noach, we discussed
the progression

of topics in the first eleven chapters of
Sefer Breishit,

showing how each successive story discussed a
story relating

to 'sin & punishment' (i.e. God's reaction to
the

disappointing behavior of each successive
generation).  The

story of Creation was followed by the stories
of man's sin in

Gan Eden, followed by Cain killing Hevel, the
corruption of

the generation of the Flood, and finally the
building of the

Tower.

  That pattern, that we discussed in last
week's shiur, will

provide the thematic background for our
discussion this week

of God's choice of Avraham Avinu - that
begins in Parshat Lech

Lcha -as the focus of Chumash changes from
'universalistic' to

'particularistic'.

     As the MIGDAL BAVEL incident (see
11:1-9) was the last

story recorded in Sefer Breishit prior to
God's choice of

Avraham Avinu, our shiur begins with a
careful study of that

narrative in search of a thematic connection
(and/or a textual

parallel) between these two stories.

 

THE SIN OF "DOR HA'PLAGAH"

     In our introduction, we assumed that the
building of the

Tower constituted a sin.  However, at first
glance, that

assumption is not so clear, for it is
difficult to find a

specific sin the Torah's description of their
actions.  In

contrast to the Torah's introduction of the
generation of the

Flood, which explicitly brands the population
as wicked and

corrupt (6:5,10-13), the opening psukim of
the Migdal Bavel

narrative leave hardly a clue to any specific
sin:

  "Everyone on earth had the same language
and the same

  words.  And as they traveled from the east,
they came upon

  a valley in the land of Shinar and settled
there. They said

  to one another: Come, LET US make bricks
and burn them

  hard.  Brick became their stone, and
bitumen their mortar.

  And they said, Come LET US build US a city
and a tower with

  its top in the sky, AND WE WILL MAKE A NAME
FOR OURSELVES,

  lest WE shall be scattered all over the
world."  (11:1-4)

 

     Not only don't we find a transgression,
one may even be

tempted to pay tribute to such an
accomplished group of

people:

  *  Is not achieving unity a positive goal?
(11:1)

  *    Does not the use of human ingenuity to
develop

  man-made building materials, such as bricks
to replace

  stone, indicate the positive advancement of
society? (11:3)

                [The very first  'industrial
revolution'!]

* What could possibly be wrong with building
a city or tower?

  Is urbanization a crime? (11:4)

* Is there anything wrong about traveling
towards the east or

  setting up a city within a valley? (see
11:2)

 

     Nevertheless, they are punished. God
mixes up their

languages, causing them to call off the
project (11:5-7). What

did they do wrong?

     Chazal focus their criticism of this
generation on their

antagonistic attitude towards God (see Rashi
11:1).  The final

and critical phrase in the Torah's
explanation of the tower

(11:4) points to an additional source of
guilt:

  "v'naase LANU SHEM - WE shall make a NAME
for OURSELVES"

  [See also Sanhedrin 109a]

 

     The use of the first person plural - not
only in this

pasuk, but also in the ALL of the first four
psukim (11:1-4) -

reflects the egocentric nature and attitude
of this

generation.  [Note also the repeated use of
the Hebrew word

"hava" (let US).]

     Rather than devoting their endeavors to
the glorification

of the NAME OF GOD, this generation excludes
God from their

goals and aspirations, emphasizing instead
man's dominion and

prowess.

     Although this generation is undoubtedly
more refined and

cultured than the corrupt, depraved
generation of the flood,

they unite for the unholy purpose of
venerating the name of

man, rather than that of the Almighty. God
had higher

expectations for mankind, hoping they would
harness their God-

given talents and potential towards loftier
pursuits. They

instituted an anthropocentric society rather
than a

theocentric one, and devoted their energies
towards MAKING A

NAME for THEMSELVES.

     God could not allow this project to
continue. But in

contrast to the corrupt generation of the
Flood, the builders

of the Tower did not deserve destruction,
rather 're-

direction'.  God will now choose Avraham
Avinu to serve as a

leader to REDIRECT mankind -  to channel
those very same

qualities of unity and creativity towards a
more altruistic

end.

 

     It is from this setting - that God
singles out Avraham

Avinu and promises to produce from him a
special nation:

  "And I will make you a GREAT NATION.... and
through you ALL

  the families of the earth will be blessed."
(12:1-3)

 

     Avraham Avinu is CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE:
to direct mankind

back in the proper direction.  Towards this
goal, He is also

promised a special land, but NOT AS A REWARD,
but rather as a

means to fulfill that purpose. God seeks a
special nation to

represent Him, to educate all other nations
and spark their

spiritual development. Avraham is at this
point but a single

individual, but he is destined to become the
forefather of

this nation. [Its development involves a
complex process,

which will take some four hundred years (see
15:13-20).]

     To become this nation, Avraham's
offspring must multiply

(ZERA) and then establish their nation in a
special land

(ARETZ). These two prerequisites not only
appear in God's

opening statement to Avraham upon his arrival
in Eretz Canaan

(12:7), but they are repeated each time God
speaks to the AVOT

of their future (see 13:14-15, 15:18, 17:8,
26:3, 28:13,

35:12, etc.).

 

BET-EL & SHEM HASHEM

     Although this goal can be fully attained
only once this

special nation is established, it is
significant that Avraham

himself exerts himself towards this end.

     If we trace Avraham's first sojourn
through Eretz Canaan

as described in the Torah, we find that the
town of Bet-El

earns a unique place within Avraham's
itinerary.

     After he arrives in Canaan and builds a
MIZBAYACH in

Shchem, Avraham continues to Bet-El, the
climax of his

"aliyah":

  "From there he moved up the mountain range
to BET-EL... and

  he built a MIZBAYACH there and called out
b'SHEM HaSHEM -

  in God's NAME! (12:8).

 

     Then, in the next chapter, Avraham
returns to Eretz

Canaan after his stay in Egypt and comes
specifically to this

very same MIZBAYACH in Bet-El. He once again
calls out b'SHEM

HaSHEM (13:1-4)!

     Wherein lies the significance of
Avraham's MIZBAYACH in

Bet-El and his calling out in God's Name?

     Avraham's calling out in God's NAME in
Bet-El signifies a

contrasting parallel to the Migdal Bavel
fiasco. There,

mankind's focus on their own prominence is
reflected in their

statement of: "v'naaseh LANU SHEM." Now
Avraham must correct

that cardinal mistake; he calls out in GOD'S
NAME - "va'yikra

b'SHEM HASHEM"! It is for this very purpose
that Avraham was

commissioned.

     Ramban expresses this understanding in
his comments to

this pasuk (12:8):

  "... and Avraham would call out there in
front of the

  Mizbayach and make known God's existence to
all mankind..."

 

A 'STRATEGIC' LOCATION

     This thematic background may help us
understand why God

chose specifically the land of Israel to
become the 'homeland'

of this nation.  Recall (from your study of
world history)

that in the time of Avraham Avinu there
existed two great

centers of ancient civilization - Egypt and
Mesopotamia.  One

could suggest that the land of Israel,
located in between

these two centers of civilization (and along
the main highway

that connects them), provides a 'strategic'
location for the

accomplishment of their national goal.

     This idea may be reflected in events
that transpire in

chapter 12. Note how Avraham is first
commanded to leave his

own homeland in Mesopotamia and travel to
Eretz Canaan (see

12:1).  At the highlight of that "aliyah", he
builds his

"mizbayach" in Bet-el and 'calls out in God's
Name' (12:7-8).

Then, the next story in Chumash informs us
how he traveled to

Egypt and encounters an incident of
corruption (see 12:10-20).

Upon his return from that center of
civilization, once again

Avraham goes to Bet-el and builds a mizbayach
and calls out in

His Name (see 13:1-4). Finally, note as well
how Avraham calls

out, once again, in God's Name - after he
establishes a

covenant of mutual trust with Avimelech (see
21:33). [See also

Ramban on 12:8 in its entirity (and the TSC
shiur on Parshat

Va'yetze).]

 

A BIBLICAL THEME

     This concept, that Am Yisrael is chosen
to bring God's

Name to mankind, emerges as a central theme
not only in Sefer

Breishit, but throughout Tanach, as well.

     In Sefer Devarim, Bnei Yisrael are
commanded to establish

a national religious center "ba'makom asher
yivchar Hashem

l'shakeyn SHMO sham" - in the place which God
will choose for

His NAME to dwell therein (Devarim 12:5,11).
As we explained

in our shiurim on Sefer Devarim, this phrase,
repeated

numerous times in the sefer, describes the
BET HA'MIKDASH -

which is to become the institution through
which God's

prominence will be recognized by all mankind.

     Some four hundred years later, when the
MIKDASH is

finally built, this same theme is reflected
in Shlomo's prayer

at its dedication ceremony:

  "If a foreigner comes from a distant land
for the SAKE OF

  YOUR NAME, for they shall hear about YOUR
GREAT NAME...

  when he comes to pray at this House...
grant him what he

  asks. Thus ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH
will KNOW YOUR NAME

  and revere You, as do Bnei Yisrael, and
they will recognize

  that YOUR NAME is attached to this House
which I have

  built."   (Melachim I 8:43 /see also Shmuel
II 7:22-27)

     In fact, Malkat Sheva [the Queen of
Sheeba], reaches this

very conclusion upon her visit to the Bet
Ha'Mikdash, as

described in Melachim 10:1-9!

 

IN MESSIANIC TIMES

     The famous messianic prophecy of
Yeshayahu (chapter 2)

not only reflects this same theme, but also
creates an

intriguing parallel to the Migdal Bavel
narrative:

  "In the days to come, the MOUNTAIN of BET
HA'SHEM (the

  Temple Mount) will stand high above the
mountains... and

  ALL THE NATIONS shall gaze on it with joy.
Then MANY

  PEOPLES shall go and say: Come let us go up
to the House of

  God, that He may instruct us in His ways
and we may walk in

  His paths - for TORAH shall come forth from
Tzion, and the

  word of God from Yerushalayim... " (2:1-4)

 

     Note the contrasting parallel between
this 'hope' and the

events at Migdal Bavel.  In both events all
mankind unites for

a joint purpose. However, in Yeshayahu they
gather to a

MOUNTAIN top (man looking up) rather than in
a VALLEY (man

looking down); and to the CITY of
Yerushalayim and its TOWER -

the Bet HaMikdash, rather than their own city
and tower.

Mankind has now united to hear the word of
God, as transmitted

and taught by His people.

     In diametric opposition to Migdal Bavel,
the Mikdash

becomes the symbol of the goals of a
theocentric society - the

ultimate goal of mankind.

     The following table reviews this
contrasting parallel:

 

MIGDAL BAVEL        BET HA'MIKDASH

------------                  --------------

Unity for man       Unity for God

Valley              Mountain

a city              the city of Jerusalem

a tower             the Temple

Man's prominence    God's prominence ("shem
Hashem")

 

     Another parallel to the Migdal Bavel
narrative appears in

the prophecies of Zefania, in his depiction
of the messianic

era:

  "For then I will make the peoples pure of
speech - SAFA

  BRURA - so that they will all call out
b'SHEM HASHEM, and

  worship Him with one accord." (3:9)

 

     Once again, the prophet depicts the
unification of

mankind for the purpose of calling out in
God's Name. An

additional parallel to the Migdal Bavel
incident is suggested

by the use of the word "safa" (=language).

 

REWARD OR PURPOSE

     In light of our discussion, we can now
reexamine our

original question. We have shown that Avraham
Avinu was chosen

to fulfill a SPECIFIC MISSION - to become the
forefather of a

nation that will lead all others to a
theocentric existence

and refocus mankind's energies in the proper
direction.

     Thus, Avraham Avinu's distinction came
not as a REWARD

for any specific deed, but rather for a
SPECIFIC PURPOSE.

Undoubtedly, as reflected in numerous
Midrashim, Avraham must

have been a man of extraordinary character
and stature who

possessed the necessary potential to fulfill
this goal.

However, the Torah prefers to omit any
explicit reference to

these qualities, focusing not on his past
accomplishments but

rather on the mission that lies ahead, thus
stressing the

primacy of Avraham's designated task.

      This same principle applies in all
generations. God's

choice of Am Yisrael is not a REWARD, but the
means by which

they can and must fulfill the mission with
which He has

entrusted them. As this mission is eternal,
so too is God's

choice of the Jewish Nation.

 

     This Biblical theme stresses our need to
focus not on the

exclusive PRIVILEGES of being God's special
Nation, but rather

on its unique RESPONSIBILITIES.

 

                              shabbat shalom,

                              menachem

 

 

========

FOR FURTHER IYUN    Lech L'cha - shiur #1

 

A.  One could suggest that the events at
Migdal Bavel

represent the natural course of the history
of nations. People

with a common goal join together for a common
purpose and

build a society. Sooner or later, splinter
groups with other

ideals and goals form, often challenging the
authority of the

first group. Over the course of time, these
smaller groups may

eventually break off and start their own
nation.

     When people cannot agree upon a common
goal, they are

often unable to communicate with each other,
even if they do

speak the same language. [Israel's "knesset"
is classic

example.]

     One could suggest that when God decides
to stop this

building project, he does so by sundering the
people's unity,

by causing them to fight over their goals.
Their inability to

communicate with each other, to understand
each other's

language, stems from the breakdown of the
unity of mission

that had brought them together in the first
place.

     Based on this suggestion, offer an
alternate

interpretation of the term "safa" (language)
in the Migdal

Bavel narrative.

     See Ibn Ezra (11:1 - "dvarim achadim")
and - if you have

time - the Abarbanel on this sugya. Relate
their comments to

the above discussion.

 

B. Note that in the entire Migdal Bavel
narrative, Hashem's

name is exclusively shem "havaya". Relate
this to last week's

shiur.

C. This connection between Migdal Bavel and
the "bechira" of

Avraham Avinu is supported by the Midrash's
comment (on

Breishit 26:5) that Avraham was 48 years old
when he

recognized God for the first time.  By
calculating the

geneologies in chapters 5 and 11, it can be
established that

Avraham Avinu reached age 48 on the same year
that Peleg died,

which, according to Chazal, corresponds to
the precise year of

Migdal Bavel!

 

 

 

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