Go Forth (Lech Lecha)
Abraham was 75 when he received God’s call. Let that sink in for a moment. Yes, lifespans were different in the Torah’s counting, but Abraham’s journey did not begin when he was young. It began when he had already been through so much. Think of how much harder it must have been for him to navigate all the tests that lay ahead, without the freshness of youth. His life would not turn out to be simple, not even at the end. But what is crucial to understand is that Abraham was 75 when his journey began. He had already been through so much, and then the real tests began.
The promise — the blessing — is recorded in Genesis, chapter 12, verses 1 through 3:
“God said, ‘Go forth, leave your native land and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you, and all the families of the earth shall find blessing through you.’”
This three-verse blessing, challenge, and command started the path that we, the Jewish people, still walk today. It also speaks to a journey that requires leaps of faith.
There are many ways to interpret this, my friends. I want to be true to our commitment to recognizing the diversity in our community. That commitment also calls me to look at the diversity within the United States. In Parashat Noah, we learn to live in a world that will not see “resets” or divine interventions to alter history. It’s on us. What we do with our deepest values matters immensely.
The Torah commands us 36 times to love the stranger, without deviation. To love the stranger means loving someone who may look different, come from another country, or seek refuge. Similarly, Jewish tradition calls us to treat each other equally, regardless of gender, and to oppose anything that would diminish the rights of women. These are Torah values, and they are non-negotiable. Respect for one another is constant and unending.
The ideals of Abraham — the ideals he received from God — are larger than he was, just as the values we uphold must be greater than ourselves. If we want our name to be great, our values must be clear in our actions.
Eight years ago, I felt my country had become unrecognizable. The question was: Can I recognize the country as it is and still hold on to my values, still work toward them? The answer is yes. Because the work does not end with us. Sometimes, the work starts when we’re 75. Sometimes the work feels overwhelming, and I honor that feeling. But it is essential for us to understand that, despite the disorientation of the past years — the pandemic, war, racial injustice, political unrest — the mission that began with Abraham and Sarah endures.
In Genesis, God’s words to Abraham and Sarah are, “Lech lecha” — “Go forth” to a place I will show you. God doesn’t name the destination. It’s an invitation to leave behind everything familiar and step into the unknown. When my ancestors came to America, they didn’t know their destination either. They fled from something unsustainable toward something undefined. And the promise of America is far larger than the reality they encountered.
Our journey with God and the world can be deeply demanding. Yet, we must take the next step for the sake of generations to come. A mystic feels the way the world should be and aches because it isn’t there yet. But they don’t stop; they set their feet to the ground and work to bring the world even one step closer to that vision. The Jewish people have always had this calling. Abraham and Sarah set out on this path, and we, their descendants — Jewish or not, observant or not — continue it.
Cultivate kindness. Demand justice. Be good as you walk through the world. And remember: though we don’t know the destination, neither did Abraham and Sarah. Take one step forward. Our values are alive. Our kindness is alive. Strangers need our love — that has always been our way.
So I bless you, and I bless myself, to feel strong, to trust in our values, and to cultivate kindness that overcomes paralysis. Today, take a walk, meet someone new, and be kind. That’s how we begin again. Our anthem, our song, our people’s deepest hope, has sustained us through millennia. Our homeland, despite the struggles, remains beloved. And if there is one lesson we can embrace now, it is that home is worth fighting for.