LECH LECHA
Lech Lecha is the quintessential Torah portion that states succinctly that G-d commanded Avraham to “go for yourself, from your land, from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land I will show you,” which turned out to be The Holy Land—Eretz Yisrael.
Leave everything behind!
It is never easy to leave everything behind and start life over again especially once one has achieved status and prosperity. But G-d told Avraham to go “for himself” which means for your own good, your own pleasure….for your own benefit.
G-d guided Avraham to Eretz Yisrael and promised him that this Land would become the eternal inheritance of the Jewish people. Like Avraham responding to G-ds command, when a Jew returns home to his G-d given inheritance, he is grasping his true identity and his allegiance to G-ds commands. He is showing his desire to claim his birthright and receive fully G-ds precious gift of a national homeland.
Later on in Lech Lecha, G-d repeats His promise to Avraham to emphasize that the Land has been given exclusively to him and his descendants. Therefore Eretz Yisrael is a legacy from our Patriarchs……an extraordinary Blessing not to be taken lightly. The Nation of Israel and the Land of Israel were divinely destined for each other.
Many commentaries state that Lech Lecha means; “go to yourself; to improve yourself.” It is essential in our life journeys to improve ourselves, as this is part of our Divine mission on earth. G-d sent Avraham to Eretz Yisrael to “improve himself,” which elicits insights into the power inherent in the Holy Land . The Holy Land has the ability to touch the deepest secrets of the soul, and to raise us up to the highest levels of refinement, something that could not be accomplished in Avraham’s native land.
In a beautiful Torah commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, edited by Rabbi Shlomo Katz, he writes that Rabbi Leibe’le Eiger says that until Avraham Avinu, there was no concept of the Holy Land. Until Avraham Avinu, there was nobody in the world who was close enough to G-d, so that G-d should share His most favorite place in the world. How much should we love this place called Eretz HaKodesh because it is the Ribono Shel Olam’s favorite place in the entire world? G-d gave this astonishing gift to Avraham and bequeathed it to his descendants…you and me.
Avraham was a G-d seeker and G-d brought him to the Holy Land, so there must be a connection between seeking G-d and living in G-ds beloved Land from where His eyes never waiver. And Avraham made his covenant with G-d in this special, spiritual land that G-d gave him and that fact speaks volumes.
Rav Shlomo says additionally that when G-d said” You should go to the Land I will show you,” G-d was also saying in this Land, I will reveal more and more about the deepest aspects of life. The Ishbitzer says that this is the holiness of the Holy Land. Israel is the only place where we are so much in touch with the infinite, that G-d is completely revealing infinite things all the time.
Israel IS REAL…so real, that when you reside here you begin to see the whole world in a different way and on a different level. When you leave everything behind that you were attached to and you stand alone with yourself in G-ds beloved garden, you stand in the shadow of G-d Himself and life takes on new and deeper significance.
When you decide to leave it all behind to come home, rest assured that the gains outpace the losses in a myriad of ETERNAL WAYS. You will be crossing over many physical, emotional and spiritual borders and you, like Avraham Avinu and the matriarchs and patriarchs before you, will step into your own holiness in a stunning, transformative way. I pray that you, like Avraham and Sarah, will take the Leap of Faith and live the life you were destined to live as a dynamic Jew in a dynamic country.
With Blessings of love and strength to make the move! Your soul will thank you, Ariella Bracha
**********************************************
Enjoy this video and start packing!
Shabbat Shalom from Coming Into the Light of Aliyah
Coming Into the Light of Aliyah 
Leave a Reply