Parsha Talk Lech Lecha 5782

With Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Lekh L’kha [Genesis 12-17] marks Avram’s entrance into the land that God would show him, identified as the land of Canaan [12:5]. He has left his father Terach in Haran, giving powerful punch to the command to Avram to depart “your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house”. Chizkuni, the medieval commentator, explains that the Torah mentions that Avram was 75 [12:4] in order to teach us that Terach was still alive [145, with 60 more years to live]. Avram, renamed Avraham later in the parashah [17:5], appears in a number of scenes, not all of which portray him as well as one might like or even expect. We had a lively conversation exploring the character of Avraham, and invite you to send us your votes for favorite patriarch or matriarch at [email protected]. Shabbat Shalom!