Guide Questions:
1. According to Rashi, why does the Hebrew say "לְךָ" in "לֶךְ לְךָ"? The word לֶךְ means "Go forth"? What does לְךָ mean?
2. According to the midrash (see Plaut's Modern Commentary pp. 94 or The Torah Anthology Yalkut Me'am Loez Genesis II pp.4-5), why does Abram have to specifically leave "his father's house"? What are the things you would like to do the same as your parent(s)? What would you like to do differently?
3. What does it mean that "all the families of the earth hall be blessed in you" or more literally, "they shall bless themselves by you"? (See Plaut's Modern Commentary p. 91 or Rashi.)
4. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov understands לֶךְ לְךָ to mean "Go to yourself." What does he mean by that? (Rebbe Nachman's Torah Genesis, p. 153)
5. According to a poem by Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss in the Women's Torah commentary (p. 82), what are the three meanings of לֶךְ לְךָ? Explain each.
6. According to the commentary in the Stone Chumash, (p. 54), why did Abraham have to leave his land?
7. According to Rabbi Rami Shapiro in Text Messages (pp. 14-15), how does the commandment to Abram relate to each one of us?
The text says that Abram left Haran when he was seventy five. Why didn't God contact Abram earlier?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it wasn't Abram' time yet...
DeleteWouldn't your time be at like 30? not 75?
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Delete@Jules
DeleteOr maybe Abram had, by then, mastered the delicate art of procrastination, and God had really called him when he was, say, 25.
Maybe God thought that Abram needed to be by himself for a while
DeleteI think God thought that Abram wasn't ready until he was 75. Anytime earlier, Abram wouldn't be ready for this commitment.
DeleteI think God is more sentimental then we think, he knows when or when not to ask for something.
DeleteAlso, young people don't really reflect as much as old people (sorry old people for calling you old).
DeleteI think it was a test to leave his elderly dad. If he left he would probably never see him again.
DeleteYes. But I think his father had just died, and Abram was mourning for him.
Deletehte people in the bible lived for a REALY long time. I think they might be counting each season as a year, though. If so, then avraham was only 18.75 years old in our time!
DeleteAnswering Guide Question 1:
ReplyDeleteRashi's commentary says that Lecha means for your own good. Rashi explains: "but here, you will not merit to have children. Moreover, I will make your character known in the world."
Noah and I got that it means distance yourself Liora
DeleteI got what Liora got, but when I was in first grade I learned that it was for him to distance himself.
DeleteI just heard Rabbi Meszler say that "l'cha" means "to you". Can't anybody make up their mind about this one word?
DeleteNo probably because there is no real meaning
DeleteI agree with Jules. There isn't a clearly defined meaning, it's really how you interpret it. If you look at the commentaries, they all say different things.
Delete@Jules - I wouldn't say there is no real meaning - I would say there are multiple meanings.
DeleteMaybe they should have consulted a Hebrew-English dictionary, if they didn't know what the real meaning of this word is.
Delete@ Rabbi David That's what I mean Rabbi David. There are so many translations that we can't decide (because they all make sence).
DeleteWell... in modern hebrew לך means to you or for you, but לך לך could make it mean something completely different.
DeleteI'm answering question 1. We're using Rashi, and Rashi says that "l'cha" means "distance yourself."
ReplyDeleteJules & Noah
Maybe what God means is that Abram should set a goal.
DeleteAnswer to question 1: go to you, for your benefit and for your good, and there I will make you into a great nation, but here, you will not merit to have children. Moreover, I will make your character known in the world.
ReplyDeleteShai
How can Abraham be a great nation if he "will not merit to have childern."
DeleteIf he would not go to Israel he woud not have children. "but HERE you will not merit to have children."
DeleteI think it was like a bribe by God, because God told him that if he doesn't leave, he will not have any children.
Deletea. Rashi
ReplyDeleteb. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov understands לֶךְ לְךָ to mean "Go to yourself." What does he mean by that? (Rebbe Nachman's Torah Genesis, p. 153)
c. , lit. go to you, for your benefit and for your good, and there I will make you into a great nation, but here, you will not merit to have children. Moreover, I will make your character known in the world. — [from Rosh Hashanah 16b, Tan.]
d. It added to how I think about this part because it helped me understand it more. It added to how I thought about this part because I didn't think about it like that. I didn't think that because he went to himself, he got rewarded to God.
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DeleteI didn't either. Maybe going to himself meant he like to travel a lot!
DeleteI chose question #1. Rashi says, God is doing what is best for Abram. I agree because God always knows what is right. The Torah says to trust God and if we don't then, why do we believe in God? Leaving is for Abram sake and not for Gods.
ReplyDelete--Mia
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DeleteIt is interesting that you said that leaving is for Abram's good and not God's. I think it is both for Abram and God. Also, does the Torah say straight out that we should trust God? When in the Torah is this illustrated?
Delete-Leora
I agree with Leora.
DeleteAnd Abram knew that too!
Deletenumber 6
ReplyDeletehe left because god was testing him by leaving his elderly dad behind
I would want to leave. being with your dad that long must be annoying.
Deleteis god or family more important?
DeleteI think you missed the point of this comment, You probably don't know me.. Also, I agree with Ben K
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DeleteYou Probably Don't Know Me is Adin. ;)
Deletethis line of comments were made by ben and yechiel
DeleteWell do you ever get fed up with you mom or dad?
Deletethink about it and living with your dad for 75 years
maybe it was time to leave............................
Maybe he didn't want to leave the land he was to get once his dad passed away. leaving was defiantly a test by g-d.
DeleteIt was a test, I agree about that. But I think Terach, Abram's father had already passed away.
DeleteAnswering Guide Question 3:
ReplyDeleteRashi's commentary says that "they shall bless themselves by you" means "may you be like Abraham." Rashi also says that every instance of the words "shall be blessed by you" mean the same general thing.
Don't you get it?! It's Abram!!
DeleteWe choese number one. rashi says that leaving was for Avrams own good and we learn from this that you have to have faith in G-d And he will lead you in the right direction.
ReplyDeletethis was made by Adin and Ari
DeleteGod will lead you in the right direction, but only if you listen.
Deletethis was made by David
DeleteI'm with Adin. Look at what he said.
ReplyDeleteI agree. (see my comment on Adin's comment)
DeleteNow We're (Noah/Jules) using Rebbe Nachman. He says that God blessed Abraham with wealth so people would want to be his friends, by this, his name would become great.
ReplyDeleteThat was God's first covenant.
DeleteJosh Beremel & Danielle
ReplyDeletea. Rashi
b. Number 6
c. Abraham had to leave the land because God tried to teach the people in the land the Torah for 20 generations. But, it didn't work. So, God is sending Abraham to a new land and having him teach the new people the Torah.
d. It made us see different perspectives of why Abraham left the land
Yes. That makes sense.
DeleteWhat Perspectives. Also, if G-d wants a new beginning why doesn't he have Abraham beside him and do what Jonah did to the people of Ninveh
DeleteIn Rashi's commentary on verse 1, he says that God did not tell Abram immediately where "the land" was. I think that Abram was brave to just go off somewhere without knowing where he was going.
ReplyDeleteI agree but what if he got lost and couldnt do anything
Deletegavy
Leora and Micah
ReplyDeleteThe Torah Anthology Yalkut Me'am Loez Genesis II
Why does Abram have to specifically leave "his father's house"? What are the things you would like to do the same as your parent(s)? What would you like to do differently? Abram specifically leaves because his father was selling idols. The commentator also says that Abram's dad is wicked and he has no soul. We want to share the same values as are parents, specifically Jewish values and Jewish life. We also want to have our own values and/or modify the values that are parents have.
Also, maybe Abram's dad needs help around house.
DeleteA question I have is if someone who is evil blesses Abram, then will God still place them?
ReplyDeleteI meant "then will God still bless them".
Deleteלך means "to you"
ReplyDeleteaurora, maya, & zachary
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ReplyDeleteOur commentator's name is Rashi,
DeleteThe question he was answering was what does the word לך mean is the phrase לך לך?
His answer was that it meant going will do good deeds for you and it will benefit you.
This comment increased my understanding of the text better because it made what the text had already said clearer.
By,
Itai, Matt, and Jared
If he doesn't leave he will become a polytheist not a monotheist because of the people he was hanging around
DeleteI kind of disagree with Jared. He'd been around them so long already, and they hadn't affected him.
DeleteRashi said that when god say i will bless you he is talking about money
ReplyDeleteI disagree. I think it means that he will have many children. It probably means other things too.
Delete3. What does it mean that "all the families of the earth hall be blessed in you" or more literally, "they shall bless themselves by you"? (See Plaut's Modern Commentary p. 91 or Rashi.)
ReplyDeletecommentator Rashi
Rashi says that this idea is simple. Be like abraham. He notes this cause Abraham was a great person who walked with G-d. As we say the blessing which is very similar, "May you be like Ephraim and Menasseh". We believe that G-d is having us appreciate abraham cause of his leadership, and that we take it through Gods lens. However we do somewhat disagree because Abraham was not perfect and he was too devoted to God
From Micah and Leora
DeleteAre commentators name is Rabbi Rami Shapiro, are question is number seven. It says that Abraham had to go and travel just like we have to. Were always looking and traveling for us jews to find. I totally believe that. Were never done looking. We found Israel but know we are looking for peace. The journey is never over
ReplyDeleteRabbi Shapiro of Text Messages was answering how Abram relates to Judaism in their commandments, beliefs, and lifestyles? He says that Abram’s commandment is to travel to Israel and conquer the land, have unlimited righteous children, bless the people of the world in God’s name, and conquer the world for Hashem. Judaism’s goal is to repair the world, spread Judaism’s reputation, bless and the peoples of the world, help all people, and be justly to everyone. Rabbi Shapiro also says that Jews should live the commandments for the present and work towards the destination even if we can’t see the goal. Our goal is to be a vehicle for blessing all earth families.
ReplyDeleteBy Ben and David
Micah and Leora
ReplyDeleteRebbe Nachman's Torah Genesis, p. 153
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov understands לֶךְ לְךָ to mean "Go to yourself." What does he mean by that?
To go to yourself, you have to leave everything behind you, and find your place in the world. We agree because when someone is in nature, without any of their possessions, they are in the easiest state to find God.
Why did Abraham leave his land?
ReplyDeleteNow choose the commentary that goes with your question. The Stone Edition Chumash.
Read your commentator’s teachings on the verses you are studying.
Summarize in your own words what the commentator teaches about your question. This was a test of Abraham. Abraham had to leave his land showing God he could do something he didn’t want to do. If he had stayed he would have failed the test. It was a big deal for Abraham to leave.
What do you think of what the commentary is saying? Do you agree, disagree, or have a different idea? Why? I agree because if you want to do something, it is not that hard. But if you don’t want to do something, it is a lot harder. Nobody has to ask me to play on my computer, but I have to be asked to clean up because I always leave stuff behind.
our commentator was Rashi and we wondered why God was paying Rashi with money
ReplyDeleteI don't think God was paying anyone with money...
DeleteGod never talked to Rashi...
DeleteWhat does it mean that all the families on the earth shall be blessed by you?
ReplyDeleteI think that this means that it is giving Abraham such recognition that when someone refers to being blessed by you it is a great honor. Like, for example, the saying "little Einstein " is associating Albert Einstein's name with being smart. Abraham's name is associated with good blessings.
Rebecca
That makes sense
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ReplyDelete