Have you ever wondered why some phrases in the Torah seem... doubled? Repeated? Like God is saying something twice for emphasis? Well, let's dive into one of those instances and see what the Rabbis of old made of it.

We're talking about the famous verse in Genesis 12:1, the very beginning of Abraham's journey: "Go you [lekh lekha] from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you." Notice that double "go"? Lekh lekha. It's not just "go," it's "go, go!" So, what's the deal?

Our source is Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. In section 39, we find two Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, offering their takes on this double expression.

Rabbi Yehuda suggests that the two "go's" refer to two different places Abraham was told to leave: Aram Naharayim and Aram Naḥor. It's like God is saying, "Leave this place, and leave that place!" Get out of both of them.

Rabbi Neḥemya has a slightly different perspective. He agrees about leaving Aram Naharayim and Aram Naḥor, but adds another layer. The second "go" also refers to when God, according to Seder Olam Rabbah, supernaturally transported Abraham from the "Covenant Between the Pieces" (Genesis 15) back to Ḥaran. This happened when Abraham was seventy years old. He then left again at seventy-five, as our verse recounts. So, the command is about leaving not just physical locations, but also a state of being, a previous destiny.

But wait, there's more! The Rabbis don't just stop at geographical interpretations. They delve into the why behind Abraham's willingness to leave. They bring in a verse from Psalms 110:3: “Your people [amekha] will volunteer on your day of battle [ḥeilekha]”. The Rabbis cleverly read this as “I was with you [imekha] when you volunteered on My behalf to descend into the fiery furnace.” This is a reference to the story (found in other sources) of Abraham being thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship idols. His willingness to face that ordeal is seen as the ultimate act of volunteering for God.

And the Psalm continues: “In sacred glory [hadrei]…from the womb of the dawn [mishḥar]”. These phrases are interpreted as allusions to the east, where the sun rises, specifically Ur of the Chaldeans. God says, "From there, I sanctified you; from the very beginning, I sought you out [sheḥartikha]."

But what about Abraham's past? What about his history of idol worship? He might have been worried about that. That's where the final part of the verse comes in: “Yours is the dew of youth.” God reassures Abraham that just as dew evaporates, so too will his past sins. And just as dew is a blessing, so too will Abraham be a blessing. What a beautiful image!

The Rabbis continue, drawing on Psalm 55:7-8, imagining Abraham longing to leave his homeland and find rest in the Land of Israel. "I said: Would that I had wings like a dove; I would fly away and come to rest." Why a dove? Because, unlike other birds that rest on stones or trees, a dove can fold one wing and keep flying with the other. It's a symbol of persistent dedication to the journey. The Psalm goes on, "I would wander [nedod] far away" – which is interpreted as "movement after movement, wandering after wandering," from Ur of the Chaldeans to Ḥaran and then to Canaan. "To repose in the wilderness, Selah" – finding more peace in the wilderness of Israel than in the palaces elsewhere.

Finally, Rabbi Levi adds a fascinating observation. When Abraham was traveling through Aram Naharayim and Aram Naḥor, he saw people indulging in excessive eating, drinking, and revelry. He thought, "I don't want my portion in this land." But when he reached the Promontory of Tyre and saw people diligently working the land, he said, "I want my portion in this land." And that's when God said, "To your descendants I will give this land" (Genesis 12:7).

So, what does all this mean? It’s not just about leaving places. It's about leaving behind old ways of thinking, embracing a new destiny, and choosing a life of purpose and meaning. Lekh lekha – “Go, go!” – is an invitation to embark on a journey of transformation, both physical and spiritual. And maybe, just maybe, that invitation extends to us, here and now. What are we being called to leave behind? What new land awaits our arrival?