Parsha Lech L’cha: The Torah of Within

This week’s parsha (Torah portion) is called Lech l’cha which in Hebrew is a command to go to yourself.  The person giving the command is god and he is commanding Avram (who becomes Avraham later in this parsha).  What else is in the parsha, you ask?  A good question, and I am glad you asked. Let me share with you a quick summary:  God commands Avram to go to himself and from his homeland and the house of his father … Continue reading

Parsha Lech L’cha: What Do the Words Really Mean?

As I read the parsha (weekly Torah portion) in Hebrew, I like to to pretend that names are not just names, but that they mean something.  This give me the freedom to translate them.  The text takes on a new meaning in the process.  For example, in this week’s parsha, Lech lecha (go to yourself is a translation from Hebrew), we find Avram setting up an alter between two towns:  Bet-El and Ai, and from there he calls to god … Continue reading