Understanding the Psychology of the Bible

 

Laich Lecha (Genesis 12:1)

 

Our Rabbis have long commented on the two words which give the Pasha its name: Laich Lecha.

Focusing on the extra second word “Lecha” -  literary, for you, the commentaries stress that God's command for Abraham to leave and move to Canaan was ‘for his own good’ as God wanted him to live in the land that would be divinely conquered by his descendants some six generations later.

 

What seems to have been overlooked is the significance of the ensuing words of this opening verse: 

 

א  וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ.

“Leave for your benefit your   homeland, your birthplace and the house of your father ..."  (my translation)

 

                                        [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0112.htm ]

 

Now in the preceding chapter 11 we learn that Abraham’s father Terah, along with Abraham and family, left Ur and planned to settle in Canaan but instead stopped and lived in Haran.

 

When God speaks to Abraham to have him set out on his own, God chooses the specific words of the verse to slowly eases in and convince Abraham. 

 

          "Leave your homeland"  -- already done.

          "Leave your birthplace” = Ur  -- already done.

 

So only the third step was new and a challenge: to set out alone for whatever land God would show him.  (At this point, Abraham is unaware that the land God would choose is the same Canaan where Terah had intended to settle.)

 

To leave one's father and extended kin was a psychological hurdle and enormous break from the cultural norm and of the family clan (as we see later with Jacob and Lavan), so to ease Abraham into complying, God reminded Abraham that two of the three steps where already done.

 

                                                  -    -    -    -    -

 

Teachers apply this strategy all the time as lessons are scaffolded on previous knowledge and moving into a new direction is approached one step at a time. 

 

It is good psychology in all situations.

 

 

Genesis ch. 11

וְאֵלֶּה, תּוֹלְדֹת תֶּרַח--תֶּרַח הוֹלִיד אֶת-אַבְרָם, אֶת-נָחוֹר וְאֶת-הָרָן; וְהָרָן, הוֹלִיד אֶת-לוֹט.	27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot Lot.
כח  וַיָּמָת הָרָן, עַל-פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו, בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ, בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים.	28 And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
כט  וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם וְנָחוֹר לָהֶם, נָשִׁים:  שֵׁם אֵשֶׁת-אַבְרָם, שָׂרָי, וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת-נָחוֹר מִלְכָּה, בַּת-הָרָן אֲבִי-מִלְכָּה וַאֲבִי יִסְכָּה.	29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
ל  וַתְּהִי שָׂרַי, עֲקָרָה:  אֵין לָהּ, וָלָד.	30 And Sarai was barren; she had no child.
לא  וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת-אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ, וְאֶת-לוֹט בֶּן-הָרָן בֶּן-בְּנוֹ, וְאֵת שָׂרַי כַּלָּתוֹ, אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ; וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים, לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן, וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד-חָרָן, וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם.	31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
לב  וַיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי-תֶרַח, חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה; וַיָּמָת תֶּרַח, בְּחָרָן.  {פ}	32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

         

                              [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0111.htm]