With Lech L’cha just completed, here are some thoughts on the parasha that I included in my application to rabbinical school:
…I recently read a d’var Torah on parashat Lech L’cha that explored why Avram was commanded in a triad to “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” In his drash, Art Grand shares the Nativat Shalom’s question of why three places are mentioned. Wouldn’t one suffice? His teaching is that while they are often sources of support, each of us can be limited and held back by the expectations and assumptions that come from our communities, our personalities and our parents…
…Mirroring the Nativat Shalom’s teaching, I had to leave my parents’ house by moving to Montreal to pursue my studies in theatre. I then had to leave my Canadian birthplace by moving to New York to pursue a career in experiential Jewish education. And to complete this phase of my journey, I literally had to leave my land by traveling to Israel – much like Avram did – to discover my true purpose in pursuing my studies in rabbinical school….
…It would be disingenuous and conceited to compare myself to Abraham; I make no attempt to elevate myself to such levels of import. Yet the centrality of his physical and spiritual journey resonates deeply with me. There is no doubt in my mind that arriving at the place I am in now, ready to make a profound and lifelong commitment, required three distinct journeys through three different countries…
Rabbi Jesse Paikin 