10 Marcheshvan 5777
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Shabbat Shalom!
Parashah Lech Lecha - Bereishit 12.1
"And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you."
Commentary - Radak
"אל הארץ אשר אראך, if G'd had told Avram that He would show him a land which was rich, fertile, good, etc., it would not have been as difficult to comply with such a directive. But the fact that G’d did not add these inducements made it more difficult for Avram to decide. The reason why G’d did not offer these inducements was to show us, the readers, how great was Avram’s love of G’d that he unquestioningly abided by what G’d had asked him to do. He was determined to carry out the wishes of his G’d." (Radak)
Haftarah - Yeshayahu 41.8-14
...But you, Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who loved Me, whom I grasped from the ends of the earth, and from its nobles I called you, and I said to you, "You are My servant"; I chose you and I did not despise you.
Do not fear for I am with you; be not discouraged for I am your God: I encouraged you, I also helped you, I also supported you with My righteous hand. Behold all those incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded; those who quarreled with you shall be as nought and be lost. You may seek them but not find them, those who quarrel with you; those who war with you shall be as nought and as nothing.
For I, the Lord your God, grasp your right hand; Who says to you, "Fear not, I help you." Fear not, O worm of Jacob, the number of Israel; "I have helped you," says the Lord, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
The Lesson To Be Learned
In this generation, as in the first generation starting with Avraham Avinu, the highest expression of a Jew's love for HKB"H is to "leave [his] land and ...[his] birthplace and...[his] father's house, [and go up] to the land [of Israel]".
When a Jew makes that ultimate sacrifice, HKB"H does not consider it a light thing and neither does He ever let him down.
