Parashat Lekh Lekha

Nullifying the Why

At first glance, God's command to Abraham in Lekh Lekha seems remarkably easy. God promises him blessings, nationhood, and greatness if he simply relocates. Compare this to the Akeda, where Abraham receives a devastating command with no explanation or reward - yet the Torah considers Lekh Lekha a serious trial. Why?

The puzzle deepens when we consider that Lekh Lekha wasn't even Abraham's first test. According to the Midrash, Abraham had already been willing to die in a fiery furnace in Ur Kasdim rather than worship idols. After proving himself ready for martyrdom, how could merely moving to a new country constitute a difficult trial? It seems absurd - like telling someone who risked their life, "Now for the real test: Are you willing to change your address?"

The answer lies in understanding that the trials ascend not in physical difficulty but in spiritual challenge. Martyrdom, while physically devastating, provides absolute clarity. When someone dies for God's name, they know exactly why they're doing it. They possess inner certainty and conviction. Their purpose is crystal clear.

Lekh Lekha offers no such clarity. Abraham receives a command without justification or reason. Why can't he serve God in Brooklyn, or Haran, or anywhere else? What's wrong with staying home? People today emigrate for far less - chasing uncertain "maybes" and "perhapses" of prosperity. Yet Abraham is asked to leave with complete certainty of blessing but no understanding of why.

This is the true trial: nullifying the "why." Abraham must renounce his personal need for logical justification and accept God's kingship without inner reason or purpose. The challenge isn't the physical strain of moving - it's the spiritual demand to act without understanding, to change himself fundamentally, to follow a command that makes no sense. When blessing itself becomes the trial, faith reaches its deepest test. Nullifying the “why” is the challenge here, the true test of the trial of Lekh-Lekha.

Questions to Contemplate

In an age that prizes autonomy, rational decision-making, and "finding your why," how do we understand Abraham's trial of acting without justification? Is there still value in doing something simply because it's commanded, even when we cannot understand the reason? 

This raises a deeper tension: Can faith coexist with the constant need for explanation, can true faith sometimes demand we act despite our need to understand?