Parshat Lekh L’kha

In this week’s parashah, Lekh L’kha, God says to Avraham:  “Walk before me and be whole.”  Immediately after that, God commands Avraham to make himself unwhole through the act of circumcision.

The S’fat Emet explains the paradox.  It is only by acknowledging that we are not complete, not self-sufficient, that we can achieve true wholeness. Why? Because it is our relationships — with God and with each other — that complete us, and without our broken edges, we could have no way to connect. If we were perfect, we would be alone.

True wholeness is not something that we can achieve on our own. In fact, the more we strive for self-sufficiency, the less integrity our lives have. We overcome our brokenness, by joining together with others — not despite our imperfections but by means of them — to create a larger whole.

May we find completeness in each other, and in striving together to build a better world.