Parashat Lekh-Lekha begins with God’s initial revelation to Avraham, in which He commanded the patriarch to leave his homeland and relocate (12:1), and promised to bless him (12:2-3).  In the next verse, we read, “Avram went as God had told him…” (12:4).

 No mention is made at all of what Avraham had done during the first seventy-five years of his life that rendered him deserving of a prophetic revelation or the blessings promised to him. Avraham exemplifies the ability to oppose the current, to stand alone in opposition, to do what is right when everyone else is wrong. A person is endowed with the ability to become who he wishes to be, regardless of his background.  Nobody is trapped in the mold of his upbringing; each individual has the capacity to build himself according to his principles and convictions.

Avraham escaped the famine by temporarily moving to Egypt.  According to the Ramban, Avraham should have trusted in God and stayed in the land in which he was told to live.  But Ralbag writes that the story of the drought – and Avraham’s response – is an example of the proactive effort required in securing a proper livelihood.

 This debate between the Ramban and the Ralbag raises a number of interesting questions, including whether their differing views relate to the unique circumstances faced by Avraham, or if they perhaps reflect broader perspectives on the proper balance between human effort and trust in God.

Lot had relocated to Sedom in order to enjoy the material benefits and luxuries the prosperous region offered.  Little did he realize, however, that reaping the benefits of Sedomite citizenship came at the cost of suffering the consequences – which turned out to be captivity at the hands of foreign conquerors.

  Avraham’s contemporaries saw a “burning palace,” a world ravaged by all kinds of ills, and reached the conclusion that there can be no “owner.”  They could not imagine that a God would allow the world to “burn” and not put out the flames. Difficult problems continue to beset mankind not because God does not care to resolve them, but because it is our job to resolve them (of course, with God’s assistance).  The raging fire is testament not to the fact that the world has no owner, but rather to the fact that the Owner’s servants are failing to do their job. 

It appears that God appeared to Avraham and instructed him to continue the journey which the family had begun, and travel to Canaan. What prevented him from continuing before? Was there a change in the meantime?

When Avraham described his relationship with Lot, he did not simply state that he and Lot were “achim” (“brothers” or “relatives”), but rather emphasized that they are “anashim achim” – “men who are brothers.”   “Anashim” should be able to resolve conflicts and find a workable arrangement  to avoid petty arguing.  Additionally, Avraham here reminds us that family relations should be a reason for greater pleasantness and amiability, and not a cause for friction and tension.  

After the argument that erupted between Avraham’s and Lot's shepherds, Avraham proposed that they part ways.  Lot chose to relocate in Sedom, in the area of the Dead Sea.   It seems difficult to explain, why the Torah would find it necessary to inform us that Lot left specifically from the eastern border of Beit-El. Could there be a reason beyond geographic pinpointing?

 In a pagan world, that had for several generations been taught to bow to and worship graven images and natural elements, one can easily imagine the challenges and ridicule Avraham had to confront during this campaign of disseminating the belief in the One true God. Upon his return from Egypt,  Avraham was  in a better position to teach and inspire, to provide some of the answers he "owed" to those who rejected him.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Avraham returned from Egypt a fabulously wealthy man. One might have expected Avraham to use his newfound wealth for better accommodations or more comfortable and luxurious travel conditions.  But he chose differently, living the life of humble simplicity that he lived before earning his fortune in Egypt.  He decided to use the money for more important causes, such as hospitality.