Hushabye Mountain

Rae recorded a lot of songs on her iPhone. Most were religious tunes, but she recorded this with a note that she used to sing it to the kids when they were babies.

 

Lech L’cha - the journey of an everyman

[1 November 2025]

Last week’s portion ended with the list of descendants from Noah to Abram. It’s been between 368 and 422 years - and ten generations - since the covenant with Noah and Adonai has not spoken to anyone since. Yet, when Abram is 75, Adonai suddenly says to him: “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation…” Thus begins the Jewish story. Not with a world-ending flood, a burning bush, a host of plagues or a parted sea, not with an outstretched arm or signs and wonders, but with two words to an old man: “Go forth.” So who was Abram? All we know is he is a descendant of Shem, whom Noah blessed. All we know of the next nine generations are their names and ages. Abram isn’t rich, he isn’t wise, he isn’t a leader, he isn’t a prophet, he isn’t even described as “righteous” as Noah was. There is nothing special about Abram, and perhaps this is the point. Without vowels, lech and l’cha are both just two letters: Lamed Kaf. “Lech” is translated as “go” and so the Torah could just as easily be interpreted as “Lech lech” – “Go! Go!” That sense of urgency would change the entire interpretation of this parasha. Instead, the sages interpret the second word as “l’cha,” which doesn’t mean “forth” but “for yourself.” Rashi interprets this as Adonai telling Abram: "Go for your own benefit, for your own good: there I will make of you a great nation whereas here you will not merit the privilege of having children. “L’cha” can also be translated as “to yourself.” In other words, go fulfill your destiny. William Schecter notes this “hints at the internal journey Abram is about to take to an elevated spirituality.“ This divine call is an invitation to a spiritual journey, encouraging Abram to trust God, embrace the unknown, and discover his divine purpose and potential, which ultimately requires leaving comfort for sacred growth.” Abram’s name also hints at this journey: Av=father, Ram=high or uplifted. (Later it is changed to Abraham, meaning "father of a multitude.") There are many simple yet powerful words in Torah, such as hineini which we translate as "Here I am" but signifies being completely present in the moment. Sh’ma is translated as “hear” or “listen” but is the central declaration of Jewish faith. Amen can be translated as “so be it” but we use it as an affirmation of our beliefs, our hopes and our prayers. Vayomer Elohim is translated as “And God said” but it actually represents the creation of the universe, the ultimate example that words have power. Lech l’cha – “Go forth" – captures the entire human experience in two words: We must listen, and we must act. Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar writes, “Listening is an act of courage. We must be brave to hear that we are called to great things. It takes an open heart and a strong will to hear lech l’cha, to embark on a journey of [faith and] self-awareness and manifest your life’s purpose.” But back to my point: If Abram wasn’t special, why did Adonai choose to speak to him? Torah gives no answers. In Torah Or, “Rabbi Yitzḥak suggests: This is analogous to one who was passing from place to place, and saw a building with a [candle] burning in it” – a bira doleket – “and asked, ‘Is it possible that this building has no one in charge of it?’” Perhaps Abram was looking at the cruelty and injustice in the world and wondering if anyone was in charge, and, according to Rabbi Yitzhak, Adonai “looked out at him and said: ‘I am the owner of this building.’” Rabbi Nelly Altenburger says bira doleket can be interpreted as either “a palace full of light” or “a palace in flames.” She continues, "All Jews are called to come and try to put out the flames. When the world is catching fire, this is the time to listen to the small, quiet voice that reminds us to have hope, to do what is just, to be extra moral and extra compassionate, to go out of our way to try to stand together with those that are harassed, oppressed and attacked.” So remember, Abram was not special, he was just a man who chose to listen and chose to act. If we believe we have to be chosen before we act, we will never act. First, we must believe we have been chosen. And if you are still waiting for Adonai to speak to you, then you have not been listening.

References

Rosh Hashanah 16b
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/354318.1
https://reformjudaism.org/learning/torah-study/torah-commentary/listening-our-calling (2021)
Bereshit Rabbah 39:1
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/48403