Parashat Lech Lecha- Determining One’s Purpose in the World
The first verses of Parashat Lech-Lecha tell the story of Abraham’s relocation in the land of Canaan. God had commanded him to leave his birthplace and homeland, and settle in a new land where he will be blessed with children, wealth and fame. However, shortly after his arrival in Canaan, the country is ravaged by drought, in response to which Abraham and his wife leave Canaan to temporarily live in Egypt, where food supplies were available in abundance.
The question immediately arises as to why Abraham left Canaan, rather than trust God’s promise of wealth and prosperity. If God had guaranteed that he will enjoy success in his new home, why didn’t he remain? Certainly a man of Abraham’s spiritual stature would not doubt God’s ability to sustain him during difficult famine conditions! Indeed, the Ramban (Rabbi Moshe Nahmanides, Spain 1194-1270) claims that Abraham acted improperly by leaving Canaan during the drought, but this is the minority view. The question thus remains, why, according to the majority opinion, did Abraham leave Canaan to escape the drought?
The answer lies in the fact that every individual is given a particular purpose, a mission, for which he has come into the world. Every person has a mission – for otherwise, God would not have brought him into the world. Long ago, when we had access to prophecy, it was easy to determine one’s purpose; a person could simply consult with a prophet, who would inform him of the purpose for which he came into the world. Nowadays, this is much more difficult. We certainly have Rabbis with whom to consult and who could provide some level of guidance, but they cannot give a definitive, clear-cut answer. Nevertheless, each person must try to the best of his ability to find his particular mission, and to execute it to the fullest.
Abraham, who was a prophet, knew that his mission was to spread monotheism, to teach as many people as he could the truth about God. To that end, he built hotels where he would offer free food and lodging and teach classes about God. His brilliance, kindness and charm attracted large numbers of people, and enabled him to spread monotheistic truths far and wide.
When famine struck in Canaan, Abraham realized that he would be unable to continue doing this work under such conditions. When people are anxious, overburdened by harsh economic conditions, they have neither the time nor the peace of mind needed to focus on complex religious teachings. What more, they will likely use this forum to complain about God, that He has not provided sufficient rainfall.
Abraham thus understood that at this point, his mission would be best served in Egypt, where the people did not suffer the hardships of famine. Sure enough, his presence in Egypt, and the miracles that occurred in Pharaoh’s palace after he took Sara, brought fame and recognition to Abraham and the theology he espoused.
Thus, Abraham’s decision to leave Canaan was not motivated by a lack of faith in God’s promises, or despair. Rather, it stemmed from a calculated decision as to how he could best achieve the purpose for which he has come into the world – the mission of disseminating the belief in the one, true God. This story should serve as an important lesson for us concerning the decisions we make throughout our lives. Like Abraham, we must chart our path on the basis of the mission for which God has placed us on this earth, and follow the course that allows us to fulfill this mission to the very best of our ability.
