Avram, whom we met at the end of last week's Parasha, is singled out now from the rest of his kin and community. He is commanded to go forth and leave behind him his native country, heritage, culture, and above all his relatives (12:1, cf. Ruth 2:11). The expression "lech [“go”] lecha" (“for yourself") can best be rendered in English as the emphatic: "go forth" or even better, the colloquial "get yourself going!” The alliteration makes it especially forceful and commanding as those two words, in spite of a vowel difference, are spelt identically. The would-be patriarch will hear another “lech lecha” when, in the future, YHVH will charge him to, “take now your son, your only one, Isaac, whom you love, and lech lecha to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you" (22:2). His obedient response to the first “lech lecha”, with its ensuing results, will enable Avraham (as he will be named) to respond similarly when the familiar voice will call him again. At the time when “the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell”, it is then that the Bridegroom says to the Bride: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and “lechi – feminine for “lech” - lach – feminine for lecha – ‘go forth for yourself’” (Song of Solomon 2:11-13, 10). Total and implicit faith and trust, as well as obedient abandonment appear to be the path leading to the season of fruitfulness and?serenity?(although?not?without?tests),?as?described?inShir?HaShirim?(Song?of?Songs?Songs/Solomon). Toward the end of?the?Parasha Abraham is told “Walk before me and be perfect/blameless”(17:1). The one who was able to fulfill the first call, of “walking”, and the second one, which was an even greater challenge, is now called upon to a “journey of the heart”.
Avram is promised many descendants and a great blessing that will also be extended to those who will bless his progeny. In fact, his seed is destined to be a blessing to "all the families of the earth" (12:3). “Family” is “mishpacha”, of the root sh.f.ch (shin, pey/fey, chet), which is also the root for a word found in 16:1 of our Parasha, “shifcha” – “handmaiden” (in reference to Hagar). The root sh.f.ch means to “join a family”, implying that one’s servants (in this case the female servant) were to be treated and looked upon as an extension of one’s kin.
“Blessing”, which is "bracha", appears five
times in 12:2,
After these promises of blessings and of a nation, in 12:7, the promise of land is given. Upon hearing this word, Avram builds an altar and moves on, only to erect another one in the next location. In the following two verses (8,9) mention is made of three of the four directions of the wind: “east, west, and south”. In Biblical Hebrew there are several words for each of these, with the ones used here being "kedem", "yam", and "negev", while in 13:14 mention is made of all of those with the addition?of?“north,”?which?is?"tzafon".
The root for east - “kedem”
- is k.d.m (kof, dalet, mem), with its primal meaning being "before" or "in front of". Thus, its
derivatives are to “greet” or “meet" (Deut. 23:4; Mic. 6:6), "early”
and "first". Words such as "old" and "ancient"
also stem from "kedem", as we see in Micah 5:2 in reference to
Messiah’s origins (another example being the “everlasting hills” promised to
Yoseph in Deut. 33:15, as well as the term "kadmoni" – “ancient” - in
1st Sam. 24:13). The root k.d.m therefore reveals an interesting approach to
the dimensions of time and space. That which is "in front" is also
that which is "early", from “antiquity” and of the “past”. Thus, “kedem”
- the “eastern” - denotes what is “ahead” and at the same time that which was.
Kohelet (Ecclesiastics) 1:9 says: “That which has been is that which shall be”,
a fact that is certainly true of our Elohim, “who is, and who was, and who is
coming” (Rev. 11:17), “declaring the end from the beginning, and from
ancient times [kedem] things that are not yet done” (Isaiah
46:10). "Kadim" is the east wind which many
times spells blight and dryness (e.g. Job 27:21; Ps. 48:7), while the prophet
Y’chezkel (Ezekiel) saw the glory of the Elohim of Yisrael coming from the same
direction ("kadim", i.e. the “east”, in 43:1,2). One of the best
known usages of "kedem" is found in B'resheet (Genesis) 3:24,
referring to the place where Elohim expelled our renegade ancestors: "east
of
“West” here is
"yam".
Yam means “sea” and since the "
“
The last direction is "north" - “tzafon” - the root of which is tz.f.n (tzadi, pe/fe, noon), and means to “conceal or hide". The same word is used when Moshe (Moses) was put out of sight for the first three months of his life (Ex. 2:2). In T’hilim/Psalms 27:5 we read about being hidden by YHVH in His succah (booth), and in 83:3 about YHVH’s “hidden ones”. The north also conceals evil, and it is from there that "evil will break forth", according to Y’rmiyahu’s (Jeremiah) prophecy (1: 4). The proud king of Babylon declares his position to be "on the mount of the assembly in the far north" (Is. 14:13), words that are countered by the Elohim of Yisrael in T’hilim 48:1,2, proclaiming that His holy mountain, Mount Tziyon (Zion), is in the far north.
After receiving the promise of a land extending in every direction, and a seed
so numerous (rendering it) too great to count (13:14-16), Avram builds another
altar, this time in Alonei Mamreh, which is Chevron (
The root of “shalem” (sh.l.m - shin, lamed, mem), is “perfection, wholeness, completeness, and requital”. This king, whose name means "king of righteousness", is also a priest of the Most High Elohim (“El Elyon”). Thus, in his persona are met the two offices of king and priest (ref. Zec. 6:13). In his blessing to Avram, whom he serves with bread and wine, Malchitzedek invokes “El Elyon” (“Most High God”), calling Him "possessor of heaven and earth" (14:19). "Possessor" here is "koneh", meaning "buyer" or “purchaser”, thus connoting redeemer (of heaven and earth). (Remember Chava exclaiming: "I have purchased/acquired a man from YHVH", which we examined in Parashat B’resheet?). Malchitzedek gives thanks once again to "El Elyon", who has "delivered Avram's enemies into his hand" (ref. 14:20), using “migen” for "delivered", which stems from the root g.n.n. (gimmel, noon, noon) meaning "shield or protection", and also used for?“gan”–“garden”-such?as?in?Gan?Eden?(YHVH’s?protected?area?of?delight).
Avram gives his newly-met acquaintance "a tenth (‘ma'aser’) of all", an act which concludes this encounter (14:20). At this point, the text recaptures Avram's tryst with the king of S’dom, but the language of the next few verses seems to be colored by what had just taken place in the encounter with the king of Shalem. Upon being offered the spoils of the war, Avram answers the king of S’dom by mentioning the name of YHVH, repeating the expression "El Elyon - Most High God - the purchaser of heaven and earth" (v. 22). He then refuses the king’s offer, on the grounds that it should not be said that he had been made rich by the latter (ref. v. 23). The word for "rich" is "ashir", of the same root as "eser"- "ten" (the consonant for "sh" and "s" being one and the same, differentiated by a slight vowel change when used as an “s” or a “sh”), from which we get the “tenth part” or the “tithe”?(ma’aser)?that?Avram”had”just?given?to Malchitzedek.*
As this scene with the king of S’dom fades, another one comes into view – the description of a vision in which YHVH speaks to Avram: "Fear not Avram, I am your shield…" (15:1). The word used here for "shield" is "mah’gen", a variation of which we saw in Malchizedek's blessing?of/Avram?a few verses above. Thus,?the?echo?of?that?dramatic?meeting?continues>to>aaccompany>the?events>that?follow?it.
When Avram wonders what it is that “Adonai YHVH”, who promised him a great reward, will give him "seeing that [he is] childless…" (15:2), he is granted a promise of a son. Once again he is told that his progeny will be numerous. It says, literally, that Avram "believed in YHVH" (v. 6). The root of "believe" is a.m.n (alfe, mem, noon) from which we get the term "amen". It is also the root word for “trust, steady, faithful”, and nurse” (Num. 11:12), “guardian” (2 Kings 10:1), and for “bringing up and training” (Esther 2:7). Proverbs/Mishley 8 cites the call of Wisdom-personified. In verses 29-30 Wisdom says, "When He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was the craftsman at His side…" The word here for "craftsman" is "amon", once again, stemming from the root a.m.n. Faith, therefore, is the act of believing which involves 1) training, and 2) action - in other words, practice. Putting convictions into practice is guaranteed many a time by a covenant. Thus, in Ne’chem’ya (Nehemiah) 9:38 we see the people making “a sure covenant”, which in that particular text depicts the root a.m.n again and is therefore termed “amana”. Based on this understanding, the Apostle Ya'acov (James) writes: "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by?action,?is?dead"?(1:22;?2:17).
Avram experiences an awe-inspiring vision (see 15:12-17), in which the covenant is confirmed. In Hebrew the experience and the covenant are called “habrit ben habtarim” - "the covenant between the cut up pieces”. The infinitive of “cut up” - "ba'ter" - also means to “dissect” or “dismember” (15:10). In 15:17 those pieces are called "gzarim", from the verb “gazor", meaning, once again, "cut up". Verse 18 says, "On that day YHVH cut [literally] a covenant with Avram…" This time the word for "cut" is "ka’rot" (which is also used frequently for cutting down trees). These powerful verbs point to the irrevocability and certainty of this covenant. It is no wonder that the very sign of the covenant itself involves a cutting - a removal of the foreskin - which is recorded in 17:10-14, after Yishamel's birth and Avram's name change, augmented by the words: “The uncircumcised male whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off [stemming from “ka’rot”] from his people…” (17:14 italics added). But there is more to the “cutting” – the very word “covenant” – brit – originates with b.r.t (bet, resh, tav) with its meaning being… to cut or fell.
Yishmael’s birth came as a result of Sarah resorting to a common practice of surrogate parenthood (such as was also done by Rachel and Leah who gave their maids to their husband in Gen. 30:3-5,9-13, and Joseph, who had his grandson’s wife give birth “on his knees”, as it were. See Gen. 50:23, for the purpose of making his great grand-children his own). This is how Sarah approached her husband: “’See now, YHVH has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her’. And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai” (16:2). The literal rendition of “obtain children by her” is “I will be built – e’ba’neh’ – by/through her”. Above we examined the word “mishpacha” – family. “Family” may be likened to a building, which grows tier by tier, floor by floor. No wonder the apostles referred to the body of believers as to a building, and used the imagery of stones to describe it (see 1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:1; Eph. 2:21; 1 Pet. 2:5). Sarai too had the same idea in mind when she said, “I will be built by her [Hagar the maid]”. In the root word b.n.a (bet, noon, hey), “build”, is hidden, not surprisingly, the word “ben” – son. Thus, when Sarah was expecting the maid to help her out, she was thinking of “being built up by having a son”. However, the matriarch soon discovered that Hagar was not about to merely “lend” her womb. She had other notions. When Sarai discerned Hagar’s ambitions, she was?forced?to?send?her?away?(see?21:9ff).
In 17:4,5 Elohim declares that He is changing Av’ram’s name from “exalted father” to Avra'ham, because he is to become
“a father to multitudes”
of nations. Technically, this name change involves adding only the letter -
"hey" - (comparable to "h"), which stands for the word
"hamon",
meaning “a multitude”. Hamon is of the root verb "
Sarai's destiny also changes with a single letter (17:15). The last letter of her name, being "yod" (comparable to “y”), is exchanged for a "hey", making her Sarah, "a princess", who will not only mother a son, but “nations and kings of nations” are also?to?come?from?her?(v.16).
In the course of the names change of the would-be parents, YHVH does not forget the offspring. Since Avraham laughs at the prospect of having a child, seeing that he and is wife are so old (ref. 17:14), he is told to name this future son Yitzchak, meaning, "he will laugh". No doubt, in the end, the One who will have the last laugh in this story will be the One responsible for giving this name, the One who also “sits in the heavens and?laughs”?(Ps.2:4).?And?as?we?shall?see?next?week,? there?is?more?laughter?to?come…
*For more on Malchitzedek and his encounter with Abram https://etzbneyosef.blogspot.com/2018/08/by-gates-of-shalem-salem.html
