The Deeper Meaning of Lech Lecha

Kabbalistic Insights from the Zohar on Parashas Lech Lecha 5783

‘And Hashem said to Avram [Abram], ‘Lech lecha [Go forth, etc.] from your land, and from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the
land that I will show you.”
– Bereishis (Genesis) 12:1
On Parashas Lech Lecha, the Zohar discusses the neshama (soul), which comes from an upper world called the World of Neshamot. Hashem tells the
neshama, ‘Lech Lecha (go forth)! Leave the World of Souls, go down to the physical world, and connect with a physical body.’ The Zohar explains
that Hashem is really telling the person to keep Torah and mitzvos and to do His will in the world.
Following are some readings from the Zohar connected to this idea:
‫ כָּל‬,‫ תּ”ק פּ ְַרסֵ י מַ ְטלָנוֹי‬.‫ בְּ אַ ְרבַּ ע ִס ְט ִרין ְדﬠָלְ מָ א פְּ ִרישָׂ א ַרגְ לֵיהּ‬,‫חוּמין ִא ְסתַּ חַ ר‬
ִ ‫ בִּ ְתּ ֵריסַ ר ְתּ‬,‫ נְ ִטי ַﬠ ִאי ָלנָא דָּ א‬,‫ אַ נְ צִּ יב חַ ד ִאי ָלנָא ַרבָּ א וְ תַּ קִּ יף גּוֹ נְ ִטיﬠָן ﬠִ ל ִָאין‬,‫תּאנָא בְּ תּוּקְ פָּא ְדּה ְֻרמָ נוּ ְדמַ לְ כָּא‬
.‫ קָ ם ִמלְּ ﬠֵילָא )ס”א נחית( ִא ְתּנָחִ יתּ בְּ מַ ְטלָנוֹי לְ גוֹ יַמָּ א‬,‫ כֻּלְ הוּ בִּ ְרעוּתָּ א חָ דָ א בַּ הֲדֵ יהּ‬,‫ כֻּלְ הוּ ִמ ְתּﬠ ִָרין בַּ הֲדֵ יהּ לֵיתּ מַ אן ְדּנָפִּ יק מֵ ְרעוּתֵּ יהּ לְ בָ תַּ ר‬,‫ כַּד ִא ְתּﬠַר הַ אי‬,‫עוּתּין ְדּ ִאנּוּן פּ ְָר ִסין בֵּ יהּ תָּ לְ יָין‬ ִ ‫ְר‬
.‫ שַׁ קְ יוּ ְדּגִ נְ תָּ א בֵּ יהּ תַּ לְ יָין‬,‫אשׁיתּ‬
ִ ‫ ְתּחוֹתֵּ יהּ ִמ ְתּפַּלְּ גִ ין כָּל מֵ ימוֹי ִדּבְ ֵר‬.‫קוֹרא )דכל ד”א לכל( מַ יִ ין ְדּנָבְ ﬠִ ין‬ ָ ‫ ִאיהוּ ְמ‬.‫ִמנֵּיהּ יַמָּ א )אתגלי( ִא ְתּמַ לְ יָיא‬
‘We have learned that, because of the strong desire of the King (Binah), a great and strong tree (Zeir Anpin) was planted. This tree is planted among
the supernal plants (the Sefirot of Binah). It turns between twelve borders and its leg expands to the four winds of the world. Its journeys were
measured at five hundred Persian miles. The desires of these Persian miles come upon Him. So when He awakens, all awaken with Him, and no one
is capable of diverting His will. After that, all are united and join His will. He arises from above and descends throughout His journeys to the sea. He
fills the sea, as He is the source of all the lights of that spring. Underneath Him, all the waters of the Beginning of the Creation are divided. The
watering of the Garden depends on Him.’
– Zohar 1:77a
‫ )ומולדתך דא גופא דאתקרי אילנא דחיי‬.‫ וּמָ סַ ר לָהּ ְמאָ ה מַ פְּ ְתּחָ אן ְדּבִ ְרכָאן‬.‫אוֹריְ יתָּ א וּלְ מֶ ﬠְ בַּ ד ְרעוּתֵּ יהּ‬ ַ ‫קוּדשָׁ א בְּ ִרי הוּא לְ ִמיטַ ר פִּ קּוּדֵ י‬ ְ ‫ אוֹמֵ י לָהּ‬,‫כַּד בַּ ﬠְ יָא )נפשא( לְ ָנחֲתָּ א לְ הַ אי ﬠָלְ מָ א‬
‫ ואין אביו אלא קודשא בריך הוא ואין‬.’‫כ״ד( גוזל אביו ואמו ואומר אין פשע וגו‬:‫ שנאמר )משלי כ״ח‬.‫ אביך דא קודשא בריך הוא‬.‫ ומבית אביך דא שכינתא‬.‫דאיהו תריסר שבטין עלאין‬
‫ אל הארץ אשר אראך דא איהו האי‬.‫ ומבית אביך תריסר תחומין שבטין עלאין‬,‫ )נ”א ומולדתך דא אילנא דחיי‬,(‫ אל הארץ אשר אראך דא איהו האי עלמא‬.‫אמו אלא כנסת ישראל‬
(‫ )עד כאן סתרי תורה‬,(‫עלמא‬
‘When the soul is ready to descend to this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes it swear to perform the precepts of Torah and to do His
bidding. And He gives each soul one hundred keys of blessings for each and every day, so that it may complete the supernal grades, which reach the
numerical value of Lech Lecha (lit. ‘Get you out’, which equals 100). All of them are given to it so that it may cultivate the Garden, to till it and to
keep it. ‘Your country’ is the Garden of Eden.’
‘The verse, ‘and from your kindred,’ (means) from the body, that is called ‘the Tree of Life’. And it includes the twelve supernal tribes, which are the
secret of the twelve borders. The verse, ‘and from your father’s house,’ refers to the Shechinah. ‘Your father’ means the Holy One, blessed be He, as
it is written (Mishlei / Proverbs 28:24), ‘He who steals from his father or his mother, and says it is no transgression…’ ‘His father’ is none other than
the Holy One, blessed be He, and ‘his mother’ is none other than the Congregation of Yisrael. The words, ‘to the land that I will show you,’ refer to
this world, to which the soul is sent.’
– Zohar, Lech Lecha, vv. 14-15

100 keys of blessings

When Hashem tells the neshama to come down to our world, He gives 100 keys of blessings. Although we arrive here in this world like a rich man
with 100 keys of blessings, the reality is that people in general usually do not remember and know it.
This can be explained through the following parable: A person possesses a key that opens an unknown door. He is unaware that the key opens the
door of the supermarket. Although that person could go in and take whatever he wants and needs, he does not because is oblivious to the key’s
purpose, and he sits in the street starving.
Bezras HaShem we will discuss the keys themselves another time. Meanwhile, let us establish the necessary conditions in our lives within which the
keys can actually be used. It is not enough to know about the keys and their purposes, and to have them. As the Zohar states, the keys only work for a
person who keeps Torah and mitzvos, and does the will of Hashem.
But isn’t HaShem’s will for us to keep Torah and mitzvos? What’s the difference?
The difference is this: Hashem’s will is for us not only for us to keep Torah and mitzvos for ourselves but to bring this knowledge and wisdom into
the world. We must not keep the Torah to ourselves but share the goodness and sweetness of the Torah with the world, as well as the treasures that are
hidden for those who keep the mitzvot.

Turning from idol worship

A primary characteristic of Avraham Avinu (our father Abraham) was his diligence in publicizing the name of Hashem. He taught faith in Hashem
and consistently shared the knowledge of Him, urging others to adopt an appropriate lifestyle.
The Zohar states that in Avraham Avinu’s generation people were idol worshippers who followed Nimrod. When Nimrod tried to kill Avraham,
Hashem saved him. This episode became widely known; the entire world knew it was Hashem who saved Avraham.
As a result, Nimrod’s popularity decreased, eventually to the point that Esav (Esau) killed him. People instead wanted to have the same connection
with Hashem that Avraham had, and they therefore sent their children to learn from him.

Today, the concept of idol worship seems far removed from us. We view it as something from a distant, ancient past. But while people back then had
an inclination to worship graven images, today’s main idol is money. So many people are willing to forego their values in order to pursue money, and
this is idol worship.
Another form of idol worship that goes back to the generation of Avraham is making people into idols. Nimrod declared himself a god and people
believed that he was one. We are not all that removed from this form of idolatry today. There are many examples of people following some
personality whom they think he is god, whether the personality does or not. But eyes can be opened and new ways can be learned.

Turning to Hashem
The primary key to connecting with Hashem like Avraham Avinu is teshuva (turning/repentance). When a person starts to understand and identify
idol worship, the process of teshuva has begun, yet it is such a difficult process that it cannot be done without the help of the Creator.
The Zohar explains that the abundance of teshuva is called ruach tahara (a spirit of purity). This spiritual abundance comes from the highest level —
from Hashem Himself — and goes down to all of Creation from the sefiros through the tzadikim (righteous people) who are alive today. They
receive this abundance because they prepare to receive it.
But our time here is limited. Everyone has an allotted number of days. When a person leaves this world, the neshama goes back to where it came
from. The Zohar explains that during the process of separation of the soul and the body, the soul receives the ability to see the spiritual structure that
remains hidden during its time in this world.
Sooner or later, everyone will see the truth. Everyone is heading there. To better understand this now, however, we need to question what we are
doing. We need to stop being the beggar crying in the street for food unaware that he holds the keys to the supermarket. We need to realize we
possess the keys and learn how to use them for good, connecting to Hashem and helping people come closer to Him, and it all starts with keeping
Torah and mitzvos and doing His will.
So, lech lecha! Go forth!