D’var Torah Lech Lecha

Rabbi Tobie Weisman

Executive Director, JCVT

In this week’s Torah portion, Lech Lecha, G!d says to Avram (Abraham), Lech Lecha, Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great. And you will be a blessing.” (Beresheet Genesis 12:1-2)

Our tradition teaches us that a deeper understanding of the words Lech Lecha mean “Go deep into yourself to fix yourself”.  (Zohar ) We all were created in the image of G!d and we are here to shine our light into the world. It is often a hard thing to really take in how holy we are. Every day we need to go deep into ourselves to find our inner light, our inner soul which is the portion of G!d that G!d breathed into us when we were born.

G!d says to Avram, “And you will be a blessing. Vh’yey Bracha”. What does it mean to be a blessing? It means to be a vessel for G!d’s light. Fern was a vessel for G!d’s light. She lifted up everyone around her and saw their light. When we become a vessel for G!d’s light, that means we never get full, we’re always becoming more full, since G!d’s light is infinite.

May we all learn to go deep inside ourselves to connect with our inner light and become a vessel for G!d’s light by lifting up all those around us so they can shine their light.