CBI Blogs

What would you do if someone told you to pack up all of your things, get in your car, start driving, and just keep going until you’ve reached an unknown destination? Would you do it? Would you stop and think for a moment about whether it’s a good idea? Would you refuse?

In this week’s Torah portion, we meet Abram and Sarai, Judaism’s first ancestors. Abram, who later becomes Abraham, hears the voice of God tell him to pack up his entire life and travel to a distant, unknown land. Without missing a beat, Abram tells his wife Sarai, who later becomes Sarah, that they are setting out on a journey based entirely on a leap of faith.

This parashah has always puzzled me. Why would anyone move their entire life without knowing the intended destination, all because a mysterious voice said so? Well, obviously Abraham was chosen for a reason, and that’s probably why I wouldn’t be picked for such an extraordinary adventure. While we don’t know precisely why Abraham was selected by God, we do know that he said answered the call with a resounding “yes!”

The other piece of this week’s portion that I often think about is what the conversation to the Promised Land must have been like for Abram and Sarai. What did they talk about? Did Abram try to explain any of the phenomenon’s he experienced? Did Sarai question this seemingly crazy move? Or, did she have as much faith as her husband?

Obviously, Parashat Lech L’cha provides more questions than answers. We will never know the details that went into this narrative, or the intense conversations that surround it. But, what we do know, is that having a little (or a lot) of faith can lead to great things, even amidst the unknown. So, have a little faith in the journey that lies ahead; you never know where it might take you!