In Parshat Noach, we read about the modus operandi Hashem instructed Noach to undertake in order for him to save himself, his family and the entire world from both physical and spiritual doom. He told him to build an ark, to protect him from the evil forces at play, and in doing so, Noach was able to sail over the infection of a world gone mad, a world so riddled with corruption that it was a point of no return.
In this week’s Parsha, Lech Lecha, we see an entirely different modus operandi. Hashem doesn’t tell Avraham to stay and sail over the infection but to go, in order to save himself from the terrible influences at play. The well-known verse lists the places that Hashem instructed Avraham to leave: “from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.” The commentators ask the famous question as to why these specific places were listed when the verse could have just said, “leave and go to the land that I will show you.” They give a piercing answer, which is that all the places of our past leave residual impact on our soul, and when it came to Avraham, the father of the great Jewish nation, he could not have had the residue of an infected family background, steeped in idol worship, imprinted on his neshoma. His soul had to be purified to the point that the DNA of the Jewish people would be clean and clear of the infection from which he had come. His soul had to be 100% pure.
Noach had to steer clear of infection, as did Avraham. The difference was that Noach did it by bundling up with his family and creating a kosher cocoon. Avraham, on the other hand, had to run from his family and build a completely new life with Sarah in order to fulfill Hashem’s dream for the Jewish people.
In our own lives, we have Noach choices and we have Avraham choices. Both must be made with one goal in sight, which is to build a life of spiritual growth and evolution, wherever that oasis may be. Sometimes we can stay by burrowing into our ark and sailing over the darkness; other times we must take bold steps and move far away.
Remember, our DNA holds greatness, and the steps we take come on the shoulders of giants.
Shabbat Shalom
