ON THE PARSHA
          Parshas Lech-L'cha

          by Dovid Lipman, Israel
          Year 2, No. 3


Introduction

This parsha, which explains how our father Avraham became bound
in a unique relationship with Hashem, has six parts:
       1) Avram makes Aliyah                           [ATTL]
       2) Egypt and Riches & Lot Leaves
       3) War among Kings                              [FTG]
       4) Covenant of the Parts                        [TWOTS]
       5) Hagar and Yishmael                           [RAUW]
       6) Circumcision                                 [WON]

1. Avram makes Aliyah -- 12:1 [Beg.] to 12:9

Hashem appears to Avram, telling him to leave his family and
travel to a strange land, which turns out to be C'na'an (Israel),
where He then promises to give the land to Avram's children. Avram,
after arriving with Sarai, his nephew Lot, and his students from
Charan, begins teaching about Hashem throughout the land.

   A Time to Laugh

   Student: What insights do you have on the parsha this week?
   So-Called-Rabbi: Do you know why in "Lech-L'cha", the "lech"
                    is spelled with a "chaf" but the "l'cha"
                    is spelled with a "ches"?
   Student: I thought they're BOTH spelled with a "chaf"!
   So-Called-Rabbi: That's what some say, but I thought of a
                    brilliant new answer....etc...etc...

2. Egypt and Riches -- 12:10 to 13:4 [Aliyah 3]
   Lot Leaves -- 13:5 [Aliyah 3] to 13:18 [end, Chap. 13]


A famine strikes C'na'an, and Avram escapes to Egypt, where he
refers to Sarai as his sister (a then-common term for a niece)
so her suitors (for she was beautiful) would deal with him (as
opposed to killing him), and he quickly becomes wealthy from
gifts. But when king Par'o himself has Sarai abducted, Hashem
punishes him with plagues and Par'o sends them back to Israel
with even more gifts as a sign of good will. Lot, also rich, has
trouble dealing with Avram's strict monetary policies and leaves

at Avraham's suggestion, settling in wealthy but wicked S'dom.

3. War among Kings -- Chap. 14

After 12 years of loyalty, S'dom and its four neighboring cities
rebel against the King of Eilam, who comes with three kings of
other world powers to put down the rebellion. The four kings
defeat the five, and Lot is taken captive. A refugee tells Avram,
who mobilizes his students. Avram miraculously defeats the four
superpowers, saves Lot, takes some reward for his students only,
becoming world famous for his heroism, selflessness, and G-dliness.

   From the Gemara

   (14:14) Succah 31b - Tosfos (on "HaYarok") brings a Midrash on
   the word "VaYarek", that Avraham gave gold to his soldiers, to
   ensure they wouldn't steal from the spoils. From this he proves
   that "Yarok", commonly translated "green", actually means
   "yellow", the color of gold.

4. Covenant of the Parts -- Chap. 15

Hashem promises Avram that he will indeed have children, and they
will inherit the land. Hashem agrees to Avram's request for a
formal sign of promise, and Avram slaughters three animals and two
birds, and he splits the animals but not the birds, symbolizing
Jewish survival. Hashem tells Avram that slavery will precede his
childrens' taking the land, and they both (Avram and a fire denoting
Hashem) pass through the animal parts, formalizing the promise.

   The World of the Supernatural

   (15:11) "And the vultures descended upon the carcasses, but Avram
   waved them away." Rashi says this hints to King Dovid's inability
   to be the final Moshiach. Why does Avraham have to be the one who
   'waves him away'? Because Dovid's fault was that his life was an
   expression of force, which draws its strength from the Attribute
   of Justice, but Avraham's life was kindness (even his war was to
   save Lot) and the Attribute of Mercy, on which the permanence of
   the world depends, requires expression of kindness. Dovid was too
   rooted in Din to be the conduit of Hashem's mercy.

5. Hagar and Yishmael -- Chap. 16

Sarai, still childless, gives her Egyptian maid Hagar to Avram to
promote fertility, and Hagar becomes pregnant. Hagar looks down on
Sarai over this, and with permission from Avram, Sarai banishes
her. By a desert well, three angels come to Hagar and promise her
a child named Yishmael, but tell her to lower herself before Sarai,
and she returns and has a son, whom Avram indeed calls Yishmael.

   Rare and Unusual Words

   (16:8) "Borachas". 'Running away' is what Hagar ls the angel she
   is doing, and from Sarai. But the angel asked where she was going
   also, so we must say this is the essence of running away: no
   matter what ones plan is, if one is running away one is not
   really going anywhere.

6. Circumcision -- Chap. 17 [End]

Hashem makes a two-part covenant with Avram. First, he promises
Avram that a great Nation will come from him and inherit the land
permanently, and He changes Avram's name to Avraham to fit this new
role. Second, He explains that Avraham's future will come from the
old and barren Sarai (though Yishmael's future is also great), as
she will have a son a year later, and He accordingly changes her
name to Sarah. This covenant is sealed by the command to circumcize
all males, starting at eight days, which Avraham promptly fulfills.

   Worthy of Note

   (17:17) "...and shall Sarah give birth at ninety?" R' Chaim
   Kanievsky suggests that Avraham expressed this wonder at the
   upcoming miracle immediately, in order to fulfill the mitzvah
   to call his wife Sarah as soon as possible. Note, though, that
   Avraham even called her Sarah in his mind, only moments after
   the command from Hashem. Such loyalty!