Lech Lecha

Lech Lecha

"Hashem said to Avram, "Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you" (Bereishis, 12;1).

In this week's parsha Hashem tells Avraham to leave Charan and go to Canaan.

This was the first of 10 tests for Avraham Avinu, and according to the commentators, the hardest one of them all!

However, why was it so hard for Avraham to move? The Medresh relates that a lot of people wanted to kill Avram in Charan for his jewish beliefs!?!
Additionally, the Torah (12;2-3) relates that Hashem promised Avraham that he would recieve a lot of blessings if he moved...Therefore, why is this test considered the hardest of the 10 tests?

Furthermore, the Gemara (Rosh Hashana, 16b) states that some say moving from one place to another has the power to tear up a Heavenly decree (since one becomes humble when exiled from home). Therefore, if moving away from home is so great, why was this considered such a hard test?

The Ramban (12;1) offeres an interesting explanation as to the difficulty of this test. He explains that it was hard for Avraham to move because it's hard for people to move away from their family and friends to an entirely new place (even though a lot of people wanted to kill him in Charan--that's where his family and friends were).

It's easy to understand why it would be hard for Avraham to move away from his family friends...But is it really harder than all his other tests, such as circumcising himself and almost killing his son?

Let's first analyze why exactly is so important to have family and friends who care for you and love you...

The Mishna (Pirkei Avos, 1;6) states: "Acquire for yourself a friend." Why is it so important to have friends?

The Gemara (Taanis, 23a) relates that a man by the name of "Choni Ha'Me'agel" met another man planting a carob tree and asked him how long the tree would take to bear fruit. The man replied that it would take 70 years...To which Choni asked how he expected to benefit. The man responded that his ancestors had planted a carob tree for him, so he was planting the tree for his descendants. Choni then fell asleep...and woke up 70 years later. When he woke up he saw a man harvesting the carobs. Choni realized that the man was the grandson of the original man, as he had slept for 70 years. Choni went to his family and friends, but no one believed that he was Choni, despite being able to answer all their questions. Due to lack of love and respect, he prayed to Hashem to kill him and he was then taken from this world. From this the gemara states: "Either friends or death."

I think we could now answer why it was such a hard test for Avraham to move from Charan to Canaan...

Without any family and friends, man lives without love, respect, honor, etc. Man requires constant care from those around him in order to live a happy life. When one lacks care from family and friends then they feel as though they are lifeless. Therefore, for Avraham to move to Canaan, away from his family and friends to a strange land, in essence meant that he would have to give up his whole sense of being. As the Gemara (Taanis, 23a) states, one without friends is considered dead. Thus, by Avraham leaving his family and friends he was basically killing himself! A truly hard test...

Summary: Hashem commanded Avraham to move from Charan to Canaan. Although a lot of people wanted to him in Charan (Medresh), this was still the hardest of all 10 tests for Avraham Avinu. And why is that? The Ramban (12;1) explains that all of Avraham's family and friends were in Charan. But how does that make moving a harder test than, for example, almost killing your son (Yitzchak)? The Gemara (Taanis, 23a) relates that a man by the name of Choni Ha'Me'agel slept for 70 years and when he woke up no one believed who he was. No one would treating him with any love and respect...He therefore prayed to Hashem to kill him, and Hashem took away his soul. From this the Gemara says "either friends or death." Thus, by Avraham moving away from his friends and family, he was in essence killing himself, for man requires constant care in order to live a happy life.