Parshat Lecha opens with a move – the title literally means ” go for yourself”. It’s a particularly meaty parsha, containing the confusing episode down in Egypt, the epic war of four against five kings, and Sarah’s struggle to bear children. I’m going to stick right with the intro, and talk about moving. In Judaism there is the concept that changing ones place changes ones luck. Certainly for Abram, Gods commandment to move does indeed spark a series of events that eventually leads to the formation of the Jewish People. However, the very first event after the move, is a famine which forces Abram and his family out of the land he was just instructed to move into. Sometimes, it can be hard to see the good in our situations.
The contemporary novel YA, D.J. Rosenblum Becomes the G.O.A.T. also opens with an unfortunate move. D.J. is forced to leave her best friend behind and move in with her Aunt and Uncle’s family so that she and her mom can help them recover from the death of D.J.’s cousin Rachel. Much like Abram, D.J. tries to see this move as an opportunity. She isn’t convinced that she has been told the truth about Rachel’s death, and she is determined to investigate. Now that she is living in Rachel’s house and town she hopes to discover what truly happened to he cousin. Also like Abram, things do not go as expected and D.J. must confront a whole lot of unpleasantness. Still, the result is a net positive.
When I am stuck, I contemplate if it is time for a move. Maybe not in physical location (although a walk outside often helps) but in mind set. Abram is asked to step outside his comfort zone to found the Jewish people. D.J. has to give up her cushy senior year in her hometown middle school in order to discover the truth about her cousin. Sometimes, we have to explore the unknown and the frightening, in order to move forward. Like trying to read the full Torah portion every week, no much how much the Hagar incident in this weeks text makes me squirm. I don’t understand it all, but I’m making progress. Thank you for coming along on the ride with me.