Parashat Lech Lecha (Go Forth)
Beresheet (Genesis) 12:1–17:27
Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27–41:16
On October 27th, Israelis will go to the polls to elect a new Knesset, Israel's parliament. These elections come at a difficult time for Israel. After three years of war, loss, and uncertainty, political divisions are growing, civil unrest is becoming increasingly concerning, and disagreements over Israel's future are creating tensions among our own people.
At the same time, the threats from our enemies continue. Iran has not abandoned its threats against Israel, while Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon are working to rebuild their military capabilities and replenish their weapons. There are also concerns that our enemies may attempt to take advantage of the political uncertainty surrounding the elections.
With so many challenges facing Israel, there are questions about what lies ahead. Who will lead our country? Will we face another war? Will we be able to overcome the divisions that are growing from within? What kind of future are we leaving for our children and grandchildren?
As I read this week's Scripture portion, Lech Lecha, I am reminded that uncertainty about the future is not new to our people. In fact, it was part of the very beginning of God's calling of Abram, the man through whom He would establish His everlasting covenant with Israel.
In Genesis 12:1–3, we read:
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
God called Abram to leave everything familiar to him and go to a land that He would show him. Abram did not know what awaited him, what difficulties he would encounter, or how God's promises would be fulfilled. Yet he trusted the One who called him and went as the LORD had instructed.
God did not promise Abram that his journey would be easy. He did not promise that there would be no enemies, no conflicts, or no suffering. What He did promise was that He would be faithful to His word.
As we continue reading this week's portion, we discover that Abram faced challenges that are not so different from those we face today.In Genesis 12, a severe famine forced Abram to leave the land God had brought him to and go down to Egypt. Out of fear for his life, he asked Sarai to say that she was his sister, compromising the truth about their marriage in an attempt to protect himself. Even a man who had responded to God's calling struggled with fear when faced with uncertainty.
In Genesis 13, we read about a growing conflict between Abram's herdsmen and those of his nephew Lot. The disagreement became so serious that Abram proposed they separate. What began as a journey together ended in division within the family. Yet rather than allowing the conflict to grow, Abram chose to pursue peace, even giving Lot the first choice of land.
In Genesis 14, Abram faced another challenge when Lot was taken captive during a war between neighboring kings. Abram did not remain passive. He gathered his trained men, pursued those who had taken Lot, and rescued him. His trust in God did not prevent him from taking responsibility and acting when action was needed.
Then, in Genesis 15, we see Abram struggling with something much more personal. God had promised him descendants, yet he and Sarai remained without a child. Abram could not understand how God's promise would be fulfilled when the circumstances seemed to make it impossible.
In Genesis 16, Sarai and Abram attempted to bring about the promised descendants through Hagar rather than waiting for God's appointed way. Their decision brought painful consequences and conflict into their own household.
Throughout these events, we see a man of faith who experienced fear, family division, external enemies, and uncertainty about God's promises. Abram was not perfect, and his decisions were not always right. Yet God remained faithful to the covenant He had established.
In Genesis 15:1, God tells Abram:
Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great.
These words were spoken after Abram had faced conflict and rescued his nephew Lot. God knew the challenges Abram had faced, and He reminded him that he was not alone.
As Israelis, we have experienced the painful reality of war, the loss of loved ones, and the constant threats against our country. We know that our security cannot be taken for granted. We also know that the decisions made by our leaders can have serious consequences for the lives of our people.
Yet our hope cannot rest solely on political leaders, military strength, or the outcome of an election. All of these have an important place, and we have a responsibility to make wise decisions and protect our country. But none of them can replace our trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This brings us to the Haftarah portion from Isaiah 40–41. In Isaiah 40:27, God confronts the people of Israel with a question:
Why do you say, Jacob, and assert, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God’?
Throughout our history, there have been many times when the people of Israel have faced suffering, uncertainty, and enemies who sought our destruction. There have also been times when our own failures and divisions brought painful consequences.
Yet God reminds His people that He has not forgotten them. In Isaiah 41:8–10, He declares:
But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend, you whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts, and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
I love how the prophet Isaiah takes us back to Abraham. Generations after God first called Abram, He reminds Israel that His covenant still stands. The circumstances had changed, the people had faced tremendous difficulties, and powerful enemies had risen against them, but God's promise had not changed.
God has not forgotten His covenant today.
However, we must remember that God's faithfulness does not remove our responsibility. Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to walk in obedience, pursue righteousness, and act with wisdom. His covenant is everlasting, but that does not mean that our choices are without consequences.
As we approach these elections, this is something we need to remember. The decisions made by our leaders will affect Israel's security, our economy, and the future of our children. We must take these matters seriously, but we must also be careful not to allow political differences to create hatred among our own people.
Our enemies do not distinguish between Israelis based on whom they vote for. On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists did not ask their victims about their political opinions before murdering them, taking them hostage, or destroying their communities.
We may disagree about how Israel should be governed, how our security should be maintained, or what decisions are best for our future. But we must not forget that we are one people, and that the dangers facing Israel affect us all.
In Isaiah 41:4, God asks:
Who has performed and accomplished it, summoning the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last, I am He.
These words remind us that while governments change, leaders rise and fall, and nations make their plans, God remains the same. His purposes are not determined by the outcome of an election, nor can His covenant be canceled by the threats of our enemies.
This does not mean that we should sit back and do nothing. Abram had to respond to God's calling. He had to leave his home, take his family, and begin the journey that God had placed before him. His trust in God was expressed through obedience. We, too, have a responsibility to act, to make wise decisions, to stand for what is right, and to seek the good of our people and our country.
As we face the uncertainty of the coming weeks and months, I pray that we will remember the words of Isaiah 40:31:
Yet those who hope in the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.
We do not know what the coming elections will bring, or what challenges Israel will face in the months ahead. But we know the God who called Abram, established His covenant with him, and promised never to abandon his descendants.
May we continue to trust Him, seek His wisdom, and remain faithful to His calling, even when the road ahead is uncertain.
Shabbat Shalom,
Moran