Parshat Lekh L’kha

This week’s parashah, Lekh L’kha, begins with God’s call to Avram (who will soon be renamed Avraham) to leave his home so that he and his descendants can become a blessing. “Lekh l’kha” means “Get going!” But God does not tell Avram where he is to go. In fact, throughout the story of Avram’s life-journey, it is never clear exactly what his final destination is.

Perhaps the Torah’s point is that the journey itself is the blessing. Life is about openness, learning and growth. To answer God’s call, to make our lives a blessing, we must keep moving. To stop growing, to get stuck, means to lose touch with the divine spark within us.

For months now, many of us have been feeling stuck in place, confined by outer restrictions. But the truth is that there is always room to grow. There are always choices to be made, no matter how constrained we may be on the outside. The key to moving forward is to step back, regain perspective, and remember what our priorities are.

That is where Shabbat comes in. The paradox of Shabbat is that taking time to be still helps us get unstuck  Allowing ourselves to stop keeps us moving. May this Shabbat, and every Shabbat, challenge us, like Avram, to make our lives a blessing.

• The New Shul’s Shabbat morning service has moved outdoors due to the Covid pandemic. Our service takes place off-site, on the grounds of the Sandpiper School, 6724 E. Hearn Rd, from 9:30 to 11:30 am on Saturday mornings. Everyone is welcome (please contact us for details). The kiddush this Shabbat, October 31, will be sponsored by Milena Bucci.
• All other New Shul events continue online. They include: Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday afternoons (4:30 pm this Friday), lay-led Shabbat services (10 am this Saturday morning), Havdalah (6:30 pm this Saturday night), and daily text study and other classes. For more information, please contact us or visit our website, thenewshul.org.