Yer Outta Heah! Lech Lecha, Shabbat 11/12 November 2016

The first distinctive words in this week's Torah portion, Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1 - 17:27) are hard to translate precisely.  Most English translations of the Torah render it 'go for yourself' or 'go for your own sake.'  In a more archaic translation, it might come out as 'go thou.'  I personally  prefer something more emphatic, and perhaps less articulate, like: 'Yer outta heah!'

So, why do I prefer a more emphatic call, such as a baseball umpire would growl to the batter who has just struck out?  Perhaps baseball is simply on my mind with the Chicago Cubs' World Series victory fresh in memory.  Or perhaps, I just think that the various, more-articulate renditions simply don't capture the tenor of the Divine imperative.

Although negotiations between Abraham and Hashem are not unknown - in next week's portion, Abraham will famously negotiate to assuage G-d's wrath upon the people of Sodom and Gemorrah - in Lech Lecha there is no hint of option.  Abraham is chosen for this task, this mission, and he has no option to refuse.  There have been other figures in scripture who tried to refuse G-d's imperatives - Jonah comes to mind, and where did that get him?  Into the belly of a fish!  So when Hashem commands Abraham to get himself out of his homeland, the land where he is most comfortable, it is certainly not a request.  Yer outta heah!  The command is clear and binding.

Most of us have never heard such a clear, unequivocal voice commanding us in such an unambiguous manner.  We have to wade through various layers of ambiguity to decide for ourselves whether the instruction is Divine, or simply in our own minds.  Of course, any time one thinks he is being commanded by G-d, one must test it against the Torah.  G-d would not command us to do something that contravenes the Torah.  That would make it unambiguously not Divine.  But beyond that condition, there is a lot of territory.  For example, I once had a friend who thought G-d was calling her to a prophetic office.  But she didn't read a word of Hebrew.  How can one be called to prophesy G-d's word, when one cannot even read it?

Instead, when we think we hear G-d's voice calling us in some way, we must use our intellect and best sense to test the call.

In my life, I have thought I felt G-d's calling a number of times.  Was it truly a Divine imperative, or was it what I thought I wanted to hear?  I cannot tell you for sure from this side of the World-to-Come.  But I do know that w are often called in a way that will take us out of our comfort zone, in order to stretch and achieve.  And I think this is an important lesson from Lech Lecha.  Just as Abraham - who, at that point in his life was still Abram - needed to get out of his comfort zone and take a big risk, so to are we often called in ways that will by necessity take us into uncomfortable territory.

When we receive a calling, even if it necessarily takes us out of our comfort zones, may we have the courage to respond and step forward.  That's one absolutely necessary step, if we're to do great things.  Shabbat shalom.