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Why does the Torah (תורה) add "for yourself" when commanding Avrohom to leave his land? The shiur develops that God's tests aren't arbitrary commands but opportunities for spiritual growth. The "benefit" promised to Avrohom isn't the material rewards listed in the next verse, but the personal development from becoming God's ambassador to the world.
The shiur begins by analyzing Rashi (רש"י)'s commentary on the phrase "lech lecha" (go for yourself) in Bereishis 12:1, where Rashi explains that the seemingly unnecessary word "lecha" teaches that Avrohom's journey would be "for your pleasure and for your benefit." Rabbi Zweig raises several fundamental questions: Why does the Torah (תורה) need to specify this benefit when the very next verse explicitly promises material rewards? What kind of test is this if God is promising wealth and fame? Why does the Torah use "lech lecha" only in two places - here and at the Akeidah? The answer, Rabbi Zweig suggests, distinguishes between two separate elements in the command. The "benefit" mentioned in verse one has nothing to do with the material rewards promised in verse two. Rather, God is telling Avrohom that becoming His ambassador to the world - spreading monotheism and ethical behavior - will be personally fulfilling and spiritually beneficial. The material wealth, prominence, and children mentioned in the subsequent verses are merely tools to enable this mission, not rewards for compliance.
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Parshas Lech Lecha, Bereishis 12:1
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