בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
Painting by: Baruch Nachshon z”l
The Discovery of the Holy Land
The end of parshat Noah and the beginning of Lech Lecha seem to describe a three-stage process of Avraham’s settlement of the Holy Land, for we see three “parshiot petuhot,” divisions in a sefer Torah, that separate these three stages. The first stage/”parsha”: At the end of parshat Noah we learn how “Terach took Avraham to go to the Land of Canaan.” Considering the difference between the spiritual stature of Avraham versus Terach his father, and Avraham’s will to go to the Land regardless of his father according to the Midrash, this verse seems very odd – why is the impetus to go to the Holy Land tied to Terach “taking Avraham”? There’s an amazing Midrash (see Yalkut Shimoni) that attributes the saving of Avraham from the burning furnace to Terach as well as their “flee” to the Land. The Midrash says that when Avraham was sentenced to be burned “immediately his neighbors [of Terach] and the children of his city came and patted him on the head, saying to him, “A great shame and a great blasphemy, son of you who said of him that he was the heir of this world and the world to come, his soul will be consumed by fire.” Immediately the mercies of the Holy One were moved, blessed is he, and He came down and saved him. Terach said in his heart, “They may rise up and kill my son.” Therefore, he rose up and went out from there [Ur Kasdim], as it is said, (above 11:3) “And Terah took Avra[h]am his son and his wife.” If we examine the source of this travel to the Holy Land, we find that it is rooted in the sanctification of Hashem’s Name, that His Name should not be desecrated by the pious Avraham being burnt or killed and Terach’s neighbors claiming that Avraham’s Divine piety and Divine “promise” doesn’t have any validity in reality. This matter may explain why Terach did not simply flee with Avraham to any other country but rather left to go specifically to the Holy Land, Land of the Divine Presence and Name, for it is this Land where the sanctification of Hashem’s Name can be fully realized. Also, many years later the presence of Avraham’s offspring, Israel, in the Land is tied to the sanctification [when Israel are on the Land]/desecration [when Israel are not in the Land] of Hashem’s Name as discussed at length in Yehezkel chapter 36.
The second stage/”parsha”: The beginning of Lech Lecha describes Hashem’s command to Avraham to go to the Land “for you,” i.e “for your benefit” [see Rashi], where he will be blessed and his name greatened. When Avraham comes to the Land Hashem also promises him to give him offspring and the Land. We find that this second travel to the Land is tied to a Divine imperative/obligation and also to benefit received from this move.
The third stage/”parsha”: The third move to the Land comes after Avraham descended to Egypt and experiences troubles there with his wife Sarah, and consequently returns to the Land. In Egypt Avraham gained wealth which in the grander scheme of things causes a rift between him and Lot. After Lot leaves him, Avraham is given another more detailed promise by Hashem to have offspring and inherit the Land. Subsequently, and seemingly as a result of this stronger blessing, Avraham settles permanently in Hebron and builds an altar here. These matters seem to teach another type of connection to the Land based on personal experience and contemplation of Hashem’s way of conduct “measure for measure.” According to the Zohar I 81b, Avraham was punished for moving from the Holy Land to Egypt, and therefore he experienced troubles with Sarah and also his offspring were deemed to be in exile 400 years in Egypt. As we have mentioned numerous times in the past, the relationship between Israel and the Land is compared in numerous Torah sources as a relationship between husband and wife (see Isaiah 62, 2, “birkat matziv gvul almana” and more). Therefore, it seems that Avraham specifically was troubled by matters pertaining to his wife for this was the matter/”aspect” in flaw – “measure for measure”. This passage also suggests a process of “repentance” on Avraham’s part, i.e by returning to the Land after mistake and trouble. The episode of Lot that comes as a result from the wealth taken from Egypt pertains to the question to whom the Land belongs and can other parties such as Lot be connected to it as well. Therefore, only when Lot, previously more connected to Avraham due to family, leaves Avraham then is Avraham given a fuller promise to inherit the Land for his own offspring only and not to Lot or any other.
When we examine these three stages from a Kabbalistic perspective it seems that they correspond to the three sefirot hesed, gevura and tiferet. The first stage that is rooted in sanctification of Hashem’s Name, corresponds to hesed, which is more centered on the Divine level of things, here Hashem’s Name. The second stage that is tied to “obligation and benefit” pertains to gevura which is involved with “obligation mandated by the attribute of judgment” and also pertains to the benefit of the receiver obeying the Godly Will. The third stage that is tied to “measure for measure,” repentance, family connection, and permanent settling all pertain to the sefira of tiferet in the following way: “measure for measure” means that two separate episodes are linked and connected together through a common theme in both of them. “Connection” is a primary theme of tiferet according to the Kabbalists. This matter also explains how “family connection” is also involved with this sefira. Repentance means returning to the Divine source after leaving it with a “wealth” of new understanding taken from the learned experience of downfall. This, as well, “connects” the ideal state with the lessons learned from the fallen state in the new consciousness of repentance. Also, permanent settling in Hebron follows with this, since permanent settling means one is fully “connected” to the Land and this itself is achieved by Hebron which itself means “connection – Hibur!”