Lech-Lecha
Lech-Lecha (Hebrew: לֶךְ־לְךָ, literally "go forth" or "go for yourself") is the third weekly Torah portion (parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah readings and the third in the Book of Genesis, spanning Genesis 12:1–17:27.[1][2][3] It narrates the divine call to Abram (later renamed Abraham) to depart from Haran, after leaving his native Ur in Mesopotamia, along with his wife Sarai (later Sarah) and nephew Lot, to journey to the land of Canaan, where God promises to make him a great nation, bless him, and establish an everlasting covenant.[1][2][3] The portion opens with God's direct command to Abram in Genesis 12:1: "Go forth from your land, your birthplace, and your father's house to the land that I will show you," initiating Abram's migration and the foundational promise of land and progeny that defines the Abrahamic covenant.[1][2] Upon arriving in Canaan, Abram builds altars to God at Shechem and Bethel, spreading monotheistic worship amid encounters with local Canaanites.[1] A famine prompts the family to travel to Egypt, where Abram instructs Sarai to pose as his sister to avoid danger; Pharaoh takes her into his household but returns her with gifts after divine plagues afflict his house.[1][2] Returning to Canaan wealthier, Abram and Lot separate due to strife between their herders, with Lot settling near Sodom while God reaffirms the land promise to Abram, declaring his descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:14–17).[1][3] Lot is later captured during a war involving Mesopotamian kings, including Chedorlaomer, but Abram rescues him with a small force and receives a blessing from the priest-king Melchizedek of Salem, who offers bread, wine, and invokes God Most High.[1][2] In a visionary covenant ceremony known as the "Covenant Between the Pieces" (Genesis 15), God promises Abram's offspring the land from the Nile to the Euphrates and foretells their 400-year exile and eventual redemption, symbolized by a divided animal sacrifice through which a divine torch passes.[1][4] Struggling with childlessness, Sarai gives her Egyptian maidservant Hagar to Abram as a concubine, resulting in the birth of Ishmael when Abram is 86 (Genesis 16).[1][2] The parashah culminates in Genesis 17 with God appearing to the now 99-year-old Abram, renaming him Abraham ("father of a multitude") and Sarai to Sarah ("princess"), promising Sarah a son named Isaac within a year as the covenant heir, and instituting circumcision as its eternal sign for all males in Abraham's household and descendants at eight days old.[1][2][3] Lech-Lecha holds profound significance in Jewish tradition as the origin story of the Israelites, emphasizing themes of faith, obedience, divine election, and the tension between promise and fulfillment, including the multiplicity of descendants likened to stars or dust.[2][5] It establishes Abraham as the first Hebrew and patriarch, with the dual covenants—one of land and exile, the other of circumcision and progeny—forming the bedrock of Jewish identity and monotheism.[1][4] The portion is read in synagogues during the fall, often linked to haftarah readings from Isaiah 40:27–41:16 that echo themes of divine comfort and election.[3]Overview
Etymology and Position
"Lech-Lecha" is derived from the Hebrew phrase in Genesis 12:1, where God instructs Abram: Lech-lecha me'artzecha umimoladtecha umibbeit avicha el ha'aretz asher ar'ekha, translated as "Go forth from your land, from your relatives, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you." The term "Lech-Lecha," meaning "go for yourself" or "go unto thyself," underscores the individualized and transformative nature of this divine command, portraying it as a personal journey of spiritual growth and obedience.[6] As the third parashah (weekly Torah portion) in the Book of Genesis within the parashat ha-shavua cycle, Lech-Lecha follows Noach and precedes Vayera.[7] This annual reading cycle, comprising 54 portions, commences immediately after Simchat Torah and ensures the complete recitation of the Torah over the Jewish year, aligning with Sabbath services and festivals.[8] The division of the Torah into weekly parashot traces its roots to public reading practices in the Second Temple period, when Torah study and recitation became central to communal life on Sabbaths and market days.[9] The annual cycle was formalized in Babylonia during the Talmudic era, dividing the text into 54 sections for systematic weekly study.[8] The Babylonian Talmud in Bava Kamma 82a references the establishment of Torah readings on Mondays and Thursdays, highlighting early regulations for regular public engagement with the text.[10]Scope and Key Events
Parashat Lech-Lecha encompasses Genesis 12:1 through 17:27 in the Torah, marking the beginning of the narrative focused on Abram (later Abraham) and his foundational encounters with God.[1][11] This portion spans five chapters that trace Abram's obedience to divine command, his family's migrations, conflicts, and the establishment of covenants promising land, descendants, and a perpetual relationship with God.[12] The parashah opens with God's directive to Abram, at age 75, to leave his homeland in Haran for the land of Canaan, accompanied by his wife Sarai and nephew Lot, with assurances of making him a great nation.[1][11] Upon arrival, Abram builds altars to God at Shechem and Bethel, but a famine drives the group to Egypt, where Sarai is briefly taken into Pharaoh's household due to her beauty; divine plagues prompt her release, and the family returns to Canaan enriched.[1] Tensions over grazing lands lead to separation from Lot, who chooses the fertile plain near Sodom.[11] Key events escalate with warfare: Lot is captured during the battle of four kings led by Chedorlaomer against five rebellious kings, prompting Abram to rescue him with 318 trained men, after which he receives a blessing from the priest-king Malki-Zedek of Salem.[1][12] God then reaffirms the covenant in a vision, promising Abram innumerable offspring like the stars and the land as an inheritance, despite foretelling future enslavement and redemption.[11] Sarai, barren, offers her Egyptian maidservant Hagar as a surrogate, resulting in the birth of Ishmael when Abram is 86.[1] The narrative culminates in chapter 17, where, at age 99, God renames Abram as Abraham and Sarai as Sarah, vowing a son through Sarah named Isaac and instituting circumcision (brit milah) as the eternal sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants.[11][12] This progression from physical migration and trials to profound divine assurances structures the parashah, emphasizing themes of faith and promise fulfillment across its chapters.[1]Textual Divisions
Weekly Torah Readings
The traditional division of Parashat Lech-Lecha into seven aliyot for the Shabbat Torah reading follows established liturgical practices, ensuring the portion spanning Genesis 12:1–17:27 is read in segments that align with thematic breaks while adhering to minimum verse requirements for each honoree. This structure allows seven individuals to receive the honor of an aliyah, reciting the blessings before and after their assigned reading, thereby involving the community in the sacred act of Torah proclamation. The maftir, a concluding reading of the final verses, is typically assigned to a special honoree, such as a bar mitzvah boy, and is followed by the haftarah from Isaiah 40:27–41:16. The aliyot are delineated as follows:| Aliyah | Verse Range (Genesis) | Key Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| First | 12:1–13 | Abram's divine call to depart his homeland.[13] |
| Second | 12:14–13:4 | Sojourn in Egypt and return to Canaan.[14] |
| Third | 13:5–18 | Separation from Lot and divine reaffirmation of the land promise.[15] |
| Fourth | 14:1–20 | War of the kings and Abram's victory.[16] |
| Fifth | 14:21–15:6 | Abram's refusal of reward and his exemplary faith.[16] |
| Sixth | 15:7–17:6 | Details of the covenant between the pieces and name changes.[16] |
| Seventh | 17:7–27 | Commandment of circumcision as the covenant sign.[17] |