Parshat Lech Lecha
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha (Chapter 12, Pasuk 2), V'E'escha L'Goy Gadol, And I will make you into a great nation. Rashi comments on these words, Zeh She'Omrim Elokei Avraham, this is expressed by the words in the first bracha of Shemoneh Esrei, Elokei Avraham, the Gd of Avraham. What is the connection between Hashem telling Avraham He will make him into a great nation and the bracha referring to Hashem as the Gd of Avraham?
The Sfas Emes explains that as a result of the Avodas Hashem of Avraham Avinu and that he made Hashem his Gd, Elokei Avraham, there became the great nation of Bnei Yisrael. This was the reward that Avraham wanted; that his greatness should be extended to his children and there should be descendants following in his way of serving Hashem. As the Gemara in Taanis 5B states, Ilan, Ilan, Bamah Avarechecha, Oh, tree how shall I bless you, Elah Yehi Ratzon Shekol Neti'os She'Notim Mimcha Yihyu Kamoscha, rather may it be the will of Hashem that all saplings that are planted from you shall be exactly like you. The great reward for Avraham making Hashem his Gd was that his descendants will be like him and adopt his ways. This is the connection between V'E'escha L'Goy Gadol and Elokei Avraham.
This idea is also expressed in the words of the pasuk itself. When the Torah states V'E'escha L'Goy Gadol, the word Gadol implies spreading out. This implies that Avraham himself will spread out. As the Ohr Gedalyahu explains, each and every Jew will have within him the ability of Avraham Avinu. So that when we daven and say Elokei Avraham, we are referring to ourselves as well, to that aspect and connection to Avraham Avinu that we have within ourselves.
The Gemara in Chagiga 3A teaches that Avraham was Techila L'Geirim, he was the first Ger Tzedek. This teaches us that the ability to break off from one's past and start again derives from Avraham Avinu. This doesn’t only relate to actual Geirim but to all who need to do Teshuva and start over. The Sfas Emes connects the command of Lech Lecha given to Avraham Avinu to the mitzvah of Succa. After Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when we cleanse ourselves and do Teshuva, we have a mitzvah of Tzeih M'Diras Keva, we need to leave behind our permanent dwelling and move into the Succa, to the Diras Aroiy or the temporary dwelling where we put all our faith and trust in Hashem. This is parallel to the mitzvah of Lech Lecha where Avraham left behind the comforts of his home and went to Eretz Yisrael. One of the attributes we have from Avraham Avinu is the ability to leave behind that which must be discarded and begin anew; to eschew the physical in favor of the spiritual.
The Meshech Chachmah teaches that by entering Eretz Yisrael Avraham Avinu reached a level of holiness previously achieved only by Adam HaRishon before his sin. There were no physical boundaries between man and Gd as evidenced by the fact that Adam didn't have clothes. But after his sin the pasuk tells us (Chapter 3, Pasuk 10), Vayomer es Kolcha Shamati Bagan Va'Ira Ki Eirom Anochi V'Eichavei. I heard Your voice in the garden and I saw my nakedness and I hid. This is a great point of transition. Adam HaRishon sees with his own nakedness, but only hears the voice of Hashem. The physical world comes and separates between him and Hashem. The physical he sees, but Hashem he can only hear.
When Avraham Avinu comes to Eretz Yisrael the pasuk tells us (Chapter 12, Pasuk 7), Vayiven Sham Mizbeach L'Hashem Hanireh Eilav. Avraham built a Mizbeach to Gd who appeared to him. The physicality of Avraham was purified in Eretz Yisrael to the point where Hashem appears to him and he can actually build a Mizbeach to Him. This was the level achieved by Avraham in leaving behind his previous physical existence in Charan. And this is true of all the Avos that the Torah tells us by each that Gd appeared to them (Bereishis, Chapter 26, Pasuk 2, and Chapter 35, Pasuk 9) and as the pasuk teaches in the beginning of parshat Veara, Vaera el Avraham el Yitzchak v'el Yaakov.
This is what we achieve on Succos. We leave our physical homes and dwell under the Schach without any physical barriers between us and Hashem. And this is one of the traits and abilities we inherited from Avraham Avinu. We became a great nation, a Goy Gadol, as a result of continuing and maintaining the unique Avodas Hashem we learned and were bequeathed by our forefather Avraham. And when we say to Hashem, Elokei Avraham, we are saying that You are our Gd as well.
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