Parashat Lech Lecha 5764/2003
EJD
The weekly reading for the week of 13 Heshvan, 5764 - November 8, 2003 Parashah: Lech Lecha Genesis 12:1 to 17:27; Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 to 41:16; Brit Chadashah: 2 Corinthians 11:16 to 12:10
The Bagel: Gone to pieces. The heart of the Abrahamic covenant is in the Brit bin hab'tarim, the Covenant of the (severed) Pieces. Animals were severed in pieces and laid out so as to form walkway for the mutual covenantors to walk hand in hand through it. This was an ancient practise to seal a covenant. But in this case in Genesis 15 G-d caused a deep sleep to fall on Abraham and proceeded down the severed animal walkway. This was a sign of an unalterable covenant. This is because G-d himself walked alone down the pathway of the severed animals. G-d will not and cannot fail to meet an agreement made with Himself. This covenant is called the Abrahamic covenant, because it was as though G-d took up Abraham's part as the other party to the covenant and would not deny His own covenant. This effectively makes this covenant, the Covenant of the Pieces, an unconditional covenant. We could say that this covenant had gone to pieces.
Not so with the Covenant of the Torah. G-d and Israel were the two parties. Israel, time and time again, failed to uphold their part of the agreement. Thus the curse of the broken law afflicted Israel down through the centuries. Israel, because of disobedience, was broken in pieces. This week's Parashat Lech Lecha proves that G-d cannot break His promise. It stood true 430 years later when G-d brought out the children of Israel out of Egypt. It remains true today for Am Yisrael chai, the people of Israel live and that in spite of Hamans and Hitlers. The promise by the Covenant of the Pieces could not be broken into pieces or shattered from its purpose in fulfillment.
The Haftarah reminds us that like the promise in Genesis 15, the future looks bright for Israel. In Isaiah 41:8-10, we are told of Adonay's unfailing purpose:
"But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham My friend. You whom I drew from the ends of the earth And called from its far corners, To whom I said: You are My servant; I chose you, I have not rejected you. Fear not, for I am with you, Be not frightened, for I am your God; I strengthen you and I help you, I uphold you with My victorious right hand" (Tanakh JPS) The pieces of Jacob that were scattered abroad into all nations will be reassembled again. Jacob had gone to pieces failing through the Torah, but the promise of the Covenant of the Pieces will bring the broken shards of Israel back together again.
When everything goes to pieces in a personal way the Brit bin hab'tarim reminds by way of the Brit Chadashah that the basis of all promise is rooted in the chesed, which is the Hebrew for the grace of G-d. "My grace is sufficient for you" was Paul's experience. He had tsuris, affliction and it would not go away, not even by prayer. Then G-d told him that all that he needed in the affliction was chesed, the grace of G-d. Abraham entered the Land, but never saw the fruition of the promise in its completeness. We wait in a world of affliction also not seeing the promise coming to fruition in its completeness. But it will come, it is as certain as the Brit bin hab'tarim, for that promise had "gone to pieces."
Cream Cheese: Shattered to pieces or pieces to shattered?
The weekly reading for the week of 13 Heshvan, 5764 - November 8, 2003 Parashah: Lech Lecha Genesis 12:1 to 17:27; Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 to 41:16; Brit Chadashah: 2 Corinthians 11:16 to 12:10
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