Parashat Lech L’cha

by Rabbi Pete Tobias of The Liberal Synagogue Elstree

Summary
The early stories of Genesis paint a picture of the origins and development of humankind with very broad brush strokes. This week’s portion becomes much more specific, however: the general becomes more specific and the Torah from now on focuses on the development of the Israelite people. This story starts with Abraham, (known at this stage of the story as Avram) who is following God’s instruction to his home at the beginning of this parashah. The six chapters that follow take the patriarch from his home in Ur to Canaan, down to Egypt and back and eventually to Hebron, where he and his family eventually settle.

Commentary
One of the main features of this week’s parashah is the covenant that God makes with Abraham. This is the point (chapter 17 verse 5) where Abraham’s new name is given to him and the covenant between Abraham’s descendants and God is explained. God promises Abraham that he will be the father of a great nation and that the land will be given to his descendants as an everlasting possession.

The big question is: to which of Abraham’s descendants is this land promised? Because Sarah is unable to conceive a child, she persuades Abraham to seek to acquire offspring via Hagar, Sarah’s maid. This project is successful, but it causes enormous resentment and a fascinating human drama follows, worthy of a script of any modern soap opera. According to the text of Genesis, Hagar becomes contemptuous of Sarah (16:4), Sarah blames Abraham for creating this situation (16:5), Abraham effectively shrugs his shoulders and tells Sarah to deal with it. She does so by treating Hagar harshly until Hagar runs away.

The pregnant Hagar is advised by an angel to return to the household, and she gives birth to Ishmael. In the chapter in which God makes the covenant with Abraham, advising him that Sarah will bear him a son, Isaac, the divine promise is also given to Abraham’s other son, Ishmael (17:20), though God’s preference for Isaac and his descendants is emphasised. This is what one would expect from the Torah, of course, since its purpose is to tell the story of Isaac’s descendants – specifically Jacob, whose name will subsequently be changes to Jacob.

Once Isaac is born (Genesis 21) Sarah once again sends Hagar away, along with her son Ishmael. Although the two half-brothers do come together once more to bury their father (Genesis 25:9) their separate paths are now mapped out and, as we know, the rivalry between them still divides the very land in which, according to the Torah, they were born.

Perhaps the words of Shin Shalom are the most apt to sum up this age-old conflict between these two sons of Abraham:
‘Ishmael, my brother
How long shall we fight each other?

My brother from times bygone
My brother – Hagar’s son,
My brother, the wandering one.

One angel was sent to us both
One angel watched over our growth –
There in the wilderness, death threatening through thirst
I a sacrifice at the altar, Sarah’s first.

Ishmael, my brother, hear my plea,
It was the angel who tied you to me…

Time is running out, put hatred to sleep,
Shoulder to shoulder, let’s water our sheep.’

Rabbi Pete Tobias
The Liberal Synagogue Elstree