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Lech Lcha

And g-d said to Avram, go out from your land....to the land that I will show you
It is said in the holy Zohar that Avraham Avinu was the chariot of g-d's kindness in the world. The meaning and ultimate purpose of possessing the attribute of kindness is to draw the kindness of g-d into the world and to therefore fill the earth with his glory. Now, the ultimate purpose of the creation of the worlds was for the world of assiyah which is the world of action. Avraham himself testifies to this in parshas Chayei Sara (B'reishis 24:3); "And I will make you swear by Hashem, the God of heaven and the God of the earth.." Rashi explains; Only now can it be said "g-d of the earth" since Avraham had familiarized the world with g-d's existence. This is known even in the upper worlds as the angels give praises to g-d by saying "the earth is filled with his glory". We can also learn this from the passuk in B'raishis (1:31) "And g-d saw all that he had done (assah) and behold it was very good". Meaning, after creating all the upper worlds, he saw that the world of action (assiyah) was very good and was the purpose of the whole creation. Now, when the kindness of g-d is at its source in the upper worlds, it is called Avram. The name Avram symbolizes kindness when it is split as "Av - Ram". Av- as in; "as a father (av) has mercy on his sons..". We can now interpret the passuk as follows: "And g-d spoke to Avram..." - Meaning, g-d was addressing the attribute of mercy and kindness in the upper worlds and instructing it.. " ...go out from your land and from your birth place...to the land.." - Meaning, go to the land because the world of action is the purpose of creation and the world where g-d desires for his glory to be revealed. It is written that the world was created with the letter heh. This is the last "heh" in g-d's name YHVH and is also understood to symbolize the congregation of Israel which is the shechinah. When the letter "yud "of g-d's name influences and bestows life to the last letter "heh", g-d's name is then said to be complete. Therefore, when the kindness and mercy of g-d is drawn down into the world, the attribute of kindness changes from Avram to Avraham.

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This is Rashi's intention on the passuk "and I will make your name great" - Rashi explains this blessing to mean; I will add a letter to your name. Until now you were known as Avram but from now on you will be known as Avraham. According to what we have said we can say that g-d was blessing Avraham that he will have the merit to draw down the kindness of g-d into this world that was created with the letter heh. Now, the words "v'agadlah" (and I will make great) and "v'evrichah"(and those who praise you) can also be divided to say "v'agadel heh" (and the "heh" will be great) and "v'avarech heh" (and the "heh" will be blessed). Meaning, through your influence of kindness that you will draw from the upper worlds (yud), you will bring greatness and blessings to this world (heh). When this is done, the passuk continues, "v'heye brachah" (and you will be blessed). The word "v'heye" has the same letters as YHVH. Meaning, when this is done it will cause the name of g-d to be blessed in your merit.

And g-d said to Avram, go out from your land and from your birth place and from your father's house
"Go out; so that your nature will become known to the world." (Rashi) We will begin to understand the words of Rashi by explaining a Midrash on our passuk: "Go out from etc. - I will exempt you from the honoring of your father" This concept of Avraham receiving an exemption from the obligation to honor one's father can be explained as follows; Avraham had reached such great heights in holiness that he had no remaining portion in his body from his natural birth to his father. This is specifically why Avraham had to withstand the test of being thrown into the fires in ohr kasdim. Now, that which we say in the morning prayers; "...and he took him out from ohr kasdim" is meaning to say that Avraham was taken out of his natural and physical nature that he received from his parents and became as a new creation because of what transpired in ohr kasdim. We now understand why Avraham was given the exemption from honoring his father. We can now begin to explain what Rashi means by saying that Avraham's nature will become known to the world. It is known that the nature of the wicked is to follow all the physical desires of their hearts. The wicked are therefore considered to be possessed by their hearts. This was demonstrated at the time of the giving of the Torah when the nations of Eisav and Yishmael were approached to receive the torah. After inquiring as to what is written in the Torah, each nation declined to except the Torah due to one mitzvah that was completely against their nature. This is also demonstrated regarding Mitzraim, when we are told (shemmos 15:4)"...and their chosen captains drowned (tuvu) in the sea". The root of the word for drowned is the same word as

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nature (tevah). Meaning, the wicked are so consumed by the desires of their hearts, it is their nature which causes them to drown. Contrary to the wicked described above, the Jewish nation, who were chosen by g-d to be a holy people and to receive the Torah, apply all their efforts to reverse their natural instincts and break away from their desires. This is the understanding of passuk written regarding Bilam's curse (Devarim 23:6): "And Hashem your G-d turned the curse into a blessing.." Now, when Bilam said the words (Bamidbar 24:5): "How good are the tents of Yakov", his intentions were to curse the Jewish people. Since we are taught that "tents" is referring to houses of study and houses of prayer, Bilam meant to limit the Jews to their spiritual lives and exclude them from any of the desires of this world. G-d however, knows that this is the ultimate blessing for the Jewish nation who strives to break forth from their natural desires and serve g-d with truth and completion. Avraham avinu was the first person to introduce this nature in the world. Avraham's constant self sacrifice for g-d's name and his rising from level to level on a daily basis has never existed prior to him. This is the meaning of Rashi's words "so that your nature will become known to the world". Meaning, your nature that is so different from those before you that you are even exempt from honoring your father. Your nature that is the opposite of the world's natural instinct to be enslaved by the desires of the heart should become known to the world.

And I will make you into a great nation

This is referring to that which we say (in the shmona esrei) the g-d of Avraham. (Rashi) It is known that even before Avraham Avinu came into the world there were wise men and philosophers who believed in the existence of a creator that existed before all. However, they all erred in their belief that g-ds true greatness only existed in the upper worlds. Even those who believed that g-d is somewhat of a ruler in this world, only viewed g-ds rule to be as a king who concurs a distant land and rules it from a distance. Avraham Avinu was the first in his understanding that the entire creation of the world was for the lowly human being to offer a pleasant spirit to g-d by serving g-d in truth. In this way, g-ds honor becomes greater then it had been prior to creation. Now, that which we say in our prayers to you g-d is greatnessyou have created the heavensand you give life to all of them and the hosts of heavenand have chosen Avraham etc.. Avraham was chosen because he was the first to understand that g-d desires to have his glory revealed through our lowly world and this was the purpose of creation. This is why Rashi says that this refers to that which we say the g-d of Avraham. Meaning, g-d was first known through Avrahams discovery and is therefore known as the g-d of Avraham.

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Seekers of g-d, offspring of Avraham who loved him (Friday night zemiros)
All the energy and inspiration that the Jewish people apply to their mitzvos and good deeds are transmitted to them from our holy fathers. It is through their great work that a path was paved to reach g-d and the way to serve him with love, fear and truth was passed down as an inheritance to their children. We must remember that without them we would not be able to do anything and would not have reached any greatness in our Torah. This is the understanding of the passuk (Devarim 10:15):Only your Fathers did g-d desire to love them, and he chose in their offspring after them from all the nations. Meaning, even that which g-d has chosen us from all the nations to give us the Torah is only a result of the great love for and the great merit of our forefathers. This is why we ask in our prayers; and remember Hashem our g-d the love of our forefathers. We are asking g-d to influence us with the love which our forefathers had already passed down into our nature to love g-d and through this our intentions towards g-d will be complete. We continue in the text of this song; Hashem the g-d of Israel, his love is constant (tamim). Hashem the g-d of Israel, his salvation is forever. Hashem the g-d of Israel: These words have the numerical value of 613. Meaning, our receiving of the 613 mitzvos of the torah is a result of g-ds constant love for Avraham who is called tamim and in his merit g-ds salvation is forever. This is the reason why our sages instituted the words in our prayers; our g-d and the g-d of our fathers. Meaning, that which g-d chose us to be his nation is only because he was first the g-d of our forefathers. Returning to our original phrase Seekers of g-d, offspring of Avraham who loved him, this is saying that even those that seek and desire for g-d have only received this inheritance from Avraham Avinu of whom the passuk says (Breishis 18:19); because he commands his children and his household after him to keep the way of g-d.

And Avraham went as g-d had told him

We will begin by explaining the passuk; "The utterances of your lips you shall guard and do as you have vowed". The passuk is warning us that when we fulfill our words we should do so with the same desire and enthusiasm that we had at the time that we vowed. Therefore, when you guard the utterances of your lips by doing the action that you have undertaken, it should be done

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with the same state of mind that you had at the time when you have vowed. If you are not capable of this, then "it is better for one who has not vowed". Similarly, we can explain the following passukim in the same fashion; "Observe the day of shabbos as Hashem your g-d has commanded you". "Honor your father...as I have commanded you". Meaning, when you fulfill these mitzvos, it should be done with the state of mind you were in when they were first commanded to you on Mount Sinai. This is also the intention of the passuk; "And Avraham circumcised his son Yitzchak as g-d had commanded him." Since there had been a long time since g-d had originally commanded Avraham with the mitzvah of circumcision, the passuk is informing us that Avraham possessed the same enthusiasm as when he circumcised himself immediately following g-d's command. When Avraham was taking Yitzchak to Har Hamoriah, the passuk says; "And Avraham went to the place that g-d had told him...and he saw the place from afar...and he said to them, stay here with the donkey." This is also alluding to this concept as follows: And Avraham went to the place that g-d had told him: Meaning, Avraham went into the same state of mind that he was in at the time that g-d had told him to go. ...and he saw the place from afar: This is telling us that this state of mind was very distant from him because those who were with him were causing him confusion and lowering his level of enthusiasm that he had. ...and he said to them, stay here with the donkey: Only after leaving the men behind was Avraham able to continue his mission and return to the same desire he felt at the time of g-d's command. Returning to our passuk And Avraham went as g-d had told him, the Torah is telling us that when Avraham Avinu carried out g-d's command, he did so with the same excitement and desire that he felt when he heard the command from the mouth of g-d.

and the souls that he made in Charan

"That he made: He brought them under the wings of the shechina." (Rashi) In the Targum it is also explained that "the souls that he made" refers to those that Avraham had brought to serve the Torah. We can explain this through what is written in the Rekanti that through the original Torah teachings of the tzaddikim, new souls are born in the upper worlds and these souls are the souls of the converts who are brought under the wings of the shechina.

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We can also use this concept to explain the passuk "There will not be amongst you a baron one". This means that your learning should not be a learning that does not produce new souls, rather it should be done with the proper holiness to be able to create new souls in the upper worlds, as we say (zemiros shabbos) "to make new souls and spirits". We can also explain that which is asked of man in the next world; "Were you involved in procreation?" Meaning, have you studied with the proper intentions that would result in the creation of new souls. Now, that which the mishna in Avos says "establish many students" can be understood in this fashion as well. This is also the meaning of the gemora; "until R'Akiva came and taught that the words 'Hashem your g-d you shall fear' to include (l'rabos) a Torah scholar. The word for include, l'rabos, also means to make many. Meaning, R'Akiva's teaching of new concepts was all done to make new souls. This is also found in the passuk (?); "This is the book of the creation of man". Meaning, the proper learning should be in order to create new souls. This can also be the meaning of "The book of creation" (sefer yetzirah) that was written by Avraham Avinu. Returning to the Targum that explains that the souls that joined Avraham were the converts that Avraham created through his Torah teachings. This means that all the souls that were reincarnated in the world through his teachings would then come to him to be converted and entered under the wings of the shechina. It would seem now that although Avraham was glorified through his gracious hospitality, this is not to be taken in its literal sense. Meaning, those who were privileged to eat at his table, were only included after being tested through the inn, in order for Avraham to see if they came from the root of his soul in holiness, as is known from the holy Zohar. The proof to this was in that which Avraham had sent away Lot who was his own nephew, saying (B'reishis 13:6,9) "Separate yourself from me","and they were not able to dwell (sheves) together". The word for dwell, sheves, has the meaning of shabbos. This is referring to the power of shabbos to separate the forces of the other side from one's self, as we say in the Tehillim written for shabbos (92:10); "all the workers of sin will be scattered".

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