The Torah portion Lekh Lekha begins with God's instructions to Abraham, "Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you." And with that instruction comes a powerful promise.
"I will make you a great nation, I will bless you [vaavarekhekha], I will render your name great, and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2).
But what does that really mean? It’s not just a nice sentiment; it’s a multifaceted promise, brimming with layers of meaning that our sages have been unpacking for centuries. , shall we?
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bereshit Rabbah 39, teases out the nuances of this loaded verse. When God says, "I will make you a great nation," Abraham, ever the pragmatist, apparently responds, "Didn't you already make seventy nations from Noah?" God's reply? "The nation about whom it is written, 'For what great nation is there that has a god so close to them as the Lord our God is to us?' (Deuteronomy 4:7) – that nation I will produce from you." It's not just about quantity, but about quality and closeness to God.
Rabbi Berekhya offers another perspective, suggesting that "I will make you [ve’e’eshkha]" implies a new creation. That from the moment of this new creation, perhaps alluding to the covenant of circumcision or the changing of Abram's name, procreation and legacy will spring forth.
And the blessings keep coming! Rabbi Levi bar Ḥavyat and Rabbi Abba, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya, point out that the verse contains three "greatnesses" and four "blessings." The Midrash sees these as allusions to the three patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and the four matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah).
Rabbi Ḥiyya takes a practical angle. Travel, while broadening, can also diminish things: procreation, resources, and reputation. But God assures Abraham that he will be protected from these losses. "I will make you a great nation" counters diminished procreation; "I will bless you" addresses dwindling resources; and "I will render your name great" safeguards his reputation. It's like God is saying, "I've got you covered on all fronts."
Now, here's where it gets really interesting. Rabbi Berekhya, citing Rabbi Ḥelbo, says that "I will make you a great nation" means a coin with Abraham's image went out into the world. Imagine that! According to this interpretation, Abraham's image on these coins was an elderly man and woman on one side (representing Abraham and Sarah) and a young man and maiden on the other (symbolizing their rejuvenation upon Isaac's birth). The Midrash then extends this idea, noting that Joshua, David, and Mordechai also had their images on coins, each reflecting aspects of their lives and legacies.
But beyond fame and fortune, there's a deeper layer. Rabbi Yudan states that God will institute a blessing for Abraham in the eighteen benedictions – the Amidah prayer. And Rabbi Aḥuya, in the name of Rabbi Ze’eira, points out that Abraham's blessing precedes God's in the prayer ("Shield of Abraham" before "He revives the dead"), signifying Abraham's pivotal role in our connection to the Divine.
Rabbi Abahu brings a linguistic twist, noting that God doesn't say "Look now heavenward [hashamayim]," but "look now toward heaven [hashamaima]" (Genesis 15:5), with an added heh. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: 'I created the world with the letter heh. I will add the letter heh to your name and then you will procreate.’ It’s a divine makeover, a literal upgrade!
And Rabbi Yudan adds that the numerical value of the letters in "I will bless you [avarekhekha]" equals 248 – a subtle hint at the blessings to come.
But perhaps the most beautiful interpretation is this: Rabbi Berekhya notes that "I will bless you" is already stated. So why does the verse continue with "And you shall be a blessing"? The answer: God is saying, "Until now, I blessed the world. From now on, the blessings are passed to you. Whomever you deem worthy to bless, bless him." The power to bless, to bestow goodness and favor, is passed on to Abraham, and by extension, to us. It's a profound responsibility and an incredible gift.
This isn't just about receiving blessings; it's about becoming a conduit for them. It's about using our lives to bring goodness into the world, to heal, to uplift, and to connect others to the Divine. It's about recognizing the spark of the Divine within ourselves and nurturing it, so that we, too, can be a source of blessing for all.
So, how can we be a berakha, a source of blessing, in our own lives? How can we use our unique gifts and talents to make the world a little brighter, a little kinder, a little more connected? That, my friends, is the challenge and the promise of Lekh Lekha.
“I will make you a great nation, I will bless you [vaavarekhekha], I will render your name great, and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). “I will make you a great nation” – he said to Him: ‘Did you not [already] produce seventy nations from Noah?’ He said to him: ‘That nation in whose regard it is written: “For who is a great nation [to whom God is so close]?” (Deuteronomy 4:7), I will produce from you.’ Rabbi Berekhya said: “I will give you” and “I will place you” are not written here, but rather, “I will make you [ve’e’eshkha]” – from when I make you into a new creation,21This could be referring to circumcision, or to the change of Abram’s name to Abraham. you will procreate. Rabbi Levi bar Ḥavyat and Rabbi Abba son of Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Three “greatnesses”22“I will make you a great nation” counts as two “greatnesses,” as “I will make you” is considered an expression of greatness (see I Samuel 12:6) and the third is “I will render your name great.” and four “blessings” are written here.23Two in 12:2 and two in 12:3. He apprised him that there would be three patriarchs and four matriarchs. Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Because travel causes three results: it minimizes procreation, minimizes resources for expenditures, and minimizes one’s reputation.24God told Abraham that He would see to it that he would not suffer these three deprivations. It minimizes procreation – “I will make you a great nation,” minimizes resources for expenditures – “I will bless you,” minimizes one’s reputation – “I will render your name great.” As people say: From house to house – a robe; from place to place – a soul.25When one moves from one house to another in the same neighborhood, one will always find something, such as a robe, missing. When moving to a different place, one loses part of one’s very soul. However, you will lose neither soul nor property. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥelbo: It26“I will make you a great nation.” means a coin with his image went out into the world. There are four people whose images appeared on coins that circulated in the world. Abraham – “I will make you a great nation” – his image circulated on coins. What was the image on his coins? It was an elderly man and an elderly woman on one side,27Representing Abraham and Sarah. and a young man and a maiden on the other side.28Representing the fact that Abraham and Sarah became rejuvenated when they bore Isaac. Joshua – “The Lord was with Joshua; his fame was throughout the land” (Joshua 6:27) – his image circulated on coins in the world. What was it? It was a bull on one side and an aurochs on the other side, after: “A firstborn bull is his majesty, and his horns are the horns of an aurochs” (Deuteronomy 33:17).29Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim, and this verse was stated regarding Ephraim. David – “David’s renown circulated in all lands” (I Chronicles 14:17) – his image circulated on coins in the world. What was the image on his coin? It was a [shepherd’s] staff and satchel on one side, and a tower on the other side, after: “Your neck is like the tower of David” (Song of Songs 4:4). Mordekhai – “For Mordekhai was great in the king’s palace, and his renown spread in all the provinces” (Esther 9:4) – his image circulated on coins. What was the image on his coin? It was sackcloth and ashes on one side, and a golden crown on the other side. Rabbi Yudan said: [God said to Abraham:] ‘I will institute a blessing for you in the eighteen benedictions,30The Amida prayer. but you do not know whether Mine precedes yours, or whether yours takes precedence.’ Rabbi Aḥuya said in the name of Rabbi Ze’eira: Yours precedes Mine, when one recites first: Shield of Abraham, and only then, He revives the dead. Rabbi Abahu said: “Look now heavenward [hashamayim]” is not written here, but rather, “look now hashamaima” (Genesis 15:5).31With an added heh. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I created the world with the letter heh. I will add the letter heh to your name and then you will procreate.’32This is an interpretation of “I will render your name great” – the name was rendered great by adding a letter to it. Rabbi Yudan said: Your letters will have the numerical value of “I will bless you [avarekhekha]”33This word ends with a kaf in the Torah, but the midrash calculates its numerical value based on its ending with the letters kaf heh. – two hundred and forty-eight. Rabbi Levi said: No person [so much as] priced a cow from Abraham34In order to purchase it. before he was blessed, nor did any person price a cow for him35In order to sell it to Abraham. until he was blessed by Abraham. How so?36In what additional way was Abraham a source of blessing? Abraham would pray for barren women and they would be remembered,37God would remember them and grant them a child. and for the ill, and they would gain relief. Rav Huna said: It was not only when Abraham would go to the ill person, but even if the ill person would merely see him, he would gain relief. Rabbi Ḥanina said: Even ships that set sail in the Great Sea were saved due to the merit of Abraham. But were they not laden with libation wine?38Wine used for idol worship. Why should Abraham want to bless such cargo? This is astonishing. The explanation is that [there is a saying:] Vinegar lowers the price of wine.39When there is much vinegar on the market, it lowers the price of wine, even though more people buy wine than vinegar. Wherever the wine of idol worshippers is available, the wine of Jews is sold at lower prices.40Even though libation wine is forbidden for Jews, when it is sold in the market, it affects the price of all wine, including kosher wine – which makes it more affordable for Jews. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: He [God] did this for Job, as well, as it is stated: “You blessed his handiwork” (Job 1:10). A person never took a penny41As charity. from Job and needed to take from him a second time. “And you shall be a blessing [berakha]” – read it as “a pool [berekha].” Just as a pool purifies the impure, so, you draw the distant near and purify them for their Father who is in Heaven. Rabbi Berekhya said: “I will bless you” is already written; why does the verse state [further]: “And you shall be a blessing”? The explanation is that He said to him: ‘Until this point I was required to bless My world, from now on, the blessings are passed to you; whomever you deem worthy to bless, bless him.’
