(1) The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. (2) I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.”
(א) לך לך מארצך וגו'. אחר שאמר מארצך אין מקום לומר ממולדתך כי בצאתו מארצו הנה הוא יוצא גם ממולדתו:
אכן הטעם הוא להיות כי בערך צער הפרידה: קטן הוא צער פרידתו מארצו מפרידת מולדתו ופרידתו ממולדתו מפרידתו מבית אביו לזה סדר ההדרגות ממטה למעלה. וליטול שכר על כל פרט ופרט, כדרך אומרו (לקמן כב:ב) את בנך את יחידך אשר אהבת את יצחק, כי ה' ישתדל להטיב ברוך הוא לאוהביו:
(1) לך לך מארצך GO FORTH FROM YOUR LAND -- After the text said "from your land" there is no reason for it to say "from your birthplace" because as he leaves his land, he also leaves his birthplace.
Thus, the reason is so that it will be in accord with the pain of separation: smaller is the pain of his separation from his land than from his birthplace; and his separation from his birthplace than from his father's house. This is why the degrees were ordered from lesser to greater. And to derive benefit on each detail, like it says (22:2) "your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac," because God strives to do good, may God be blessed, to God's beloved.
(ב) מארצך וַהֲלֹא כְבָר יָצָא מִשָּׁם עִם אָבִיו וּבָא עַד חָרָן? אֶלָּא כַּךְ אָמַר לוֹ הִתְרַחֵק עוֹד מִשָּׁם וְצֵא מִבֵּית אָבִיךָ:
אשר אראך לֹא גִלָּה לוֹ הָאָרֶץ מִיַּד, כְּדֵּי לְחַבְּבָהּ בְּעֵינָיו, וְלָתֵת לוֹ שָׂכָר עַל כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר...
(2) מארצך FROM YOUR LAND — But had he not already departed from there together with his father and had reached as far as Haran (Genesis 11:31)? But thus God in effect said to him: Go still further away — leave now thy father’s house also.
אשר אראך WHICH I WILL SHOW YOU — God did not reveal to him at once which land it was in order that he should hold it in high esteem and in order to reward him for complying with each and every command.
(ב) והיה ברכה אתה תהיה הברכה אשר יתברכו בך לאמר "ישימך אלהים כאברהם" והוסיף עוד כי כל משפחות האדמה יתברכו בו לא אנשי ארצו בלבד או ונברכו בך שיהיו מבורכים בעבורו.
והנה זאת הפרשה לא בארה כל הענין כי מה טעם שיאמר לו הקב"ה עזוב ארצך ואיטיבה עמך טובה שלא היתה כמוהו בעולם מבלי שיקדים שהיה אברהם עובד אלהים או צדיק תמים או שיאמר טעם לעזיבת הארץ שיהיה בהליכתו אל ארץ אחרת קרבת אלהים ומנהג הכתוב לאמר התהלך לפני ותשמע בקולי ואיטיבה עמך כאשר בדוד ובשלמה וכענין התורה כולה אם בחוקותי תלכו (ויקרא כו:ג) אם שמע תשמע בקול ה' אלהיך (דברים כח:א) וביצחק אמר בעבור אברהם עבדי (להלן כו:כד) אבל להבטיחו בעבור יציאת הארץ אין בו טעם.
(2) והיה ברכה AND YOU SHALL BE A BLESSING –- You will be a blessing in that they will be blessed through you by saying, "God should make you like Avraham." And God also added that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him, and not just the people of his land. Or "and they shall bless themselves by you” [means] that they would be blessed on his account.
And behold, this section did not elucidate the whole topic. As what is the reason that the Holy Blessed One should say to him, "Leave your land and I will do good to you, like there had never been [before]," without prefacing that Avraham was a servant of God or perfectly righteous - or that God provide a reason for his leaving the land, such that there would be in his going to another land, a coming close to God. And the custom of Torah is to say, "Walk in front of Me and listen to My voice and I will do good to you," as with David and Shlomo; and like the matter in all of the Torah: "If you will walk in my statutes" (Leviticus 26:3); "if you will truly listen to the voice of the Lord, your God" (Deuteronomy 28:1); and with Yitzchak, it stated, "on account of Avraham, my servant" (Genesis 26:24). But to promise him [blessing] because of his leaving the land, there is no reason.
(א) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וגו' (בראשית יב:א), רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח (תהלים מה:יא): שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְ וְשִׁכְחִי עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךְ, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, וְרָאָה בִּירָה אַחַת דּוֹלֶקֶת, אָמַר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַבִּירָה הַזּוֹ בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו בַּעַל הַבִּירָה, אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הַבִּירָה. כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם אוֹמֵר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הָעוֹלָם.
(1) God said to Avram, "Go you forth from your land…" Rabbi Yitzchak opened: "Take heed, lass, and note, incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house" (Psalms 45:11). Rabbi Yitzchak said: this may be compared to a man who was traveling from place to place when he saw a bira doleket. He said, "Is it possible that this bira lacks a person to look after it? The owner looked out and said, “I am the owner.” Similarly, because Avraham our father said, “Is it possible that this world has no guide, no one to look after it?," the Holy Blessed One looked out and said to him, “I am the Master of the Universe.”
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Radical Then, Radical Now, Harper Collins, 2000
Abraham's bewilderment is clear. This sensitive human being gazes at a brilliantly structured universe, a splendid piece of art. He is overwhelmed by the grandeur of a sunset and by the miracle of childbirth; he marvels at the roaring ocean waves and at the silent, steady beat of the human heart. The world is indeed a palace.
But the palace is in flames. The world is full of bloodshed, injustice and strife. Thugs, abusers, rapists, kidnappers and killers are continuously demolishing the palace, turning our world into an ugly tragic battlefield of untold pain and horror.
What happened to the owner of the palace? Abraham cries. Why does G‑d allow man to destroy His [sic] world? Why does He permit such a beautiful palace to go up in flames? Could G‑d have made a world only to abandon it? Would anyone build a palace and then desert it?
Note that the owner of the palace does not make an attempt to get out of the burning building or to extinguish the flames. He is merely stating that He is the owner of the palace that is going up in smoke. It is as if, instead of racing out, the owner were calling for help. G‑d made the palace, man set it on fire, and only man can put out the flames. Abraham asks G‑d, "Where are you?" G‑d replies, "I am here, where are you?" Man asks G‑d, "Why did You abandon the world?" G‑d asks man, "Why did you abandon Me?"
Rabbi Getzel Davis
Like Moses’ burning bush, the burning world is a wake up call. Perhaps we, like Abraham can encounter G!d amidst destruction. How long does it take to stare at a burning bush and realize that it has not been consumed? 3 minutes? 7 minutes? If most people were walking down a street and saw a burning bush or a burning garbage can, they would either keep walking or run to put it out. But both Moses and Abraham stopped to gaze and listen to the destruction. And both of them found G!d.