Lover of Leaving

 Genesis 10-12

I got distracted by the phrase from Genesis: Lekh L’kha, which the CJB translates as “Get yourself out.” (Literally “Go for you.”) Jewish sources identify this passage as “Parashat 3” or the third Sabbath lectionary reading of the Torah, and some translate Lekh  L’kha as “Go to yourself.”

Rabbinic commentaries concern themselves with Avram’s apparent abandonment of his father which means that he is violating the commandment to honor his parents. They give a translation that is more like, “Go— for you I absolve you of the law to honor your parents.”

Another commentary I read was much more personal and poetic, from a young Jewish lesbian who often let people think that her girlfriend was her sister for many of the same reasons that Avram lied to Pharoah about Sarai not being his wife. She concentrated on the meaning, “Walk toward yourself.”

In her article she says, “Abram is asked to leave not one, but three separate things. He is told to leave “artzecha” — your land, and “moladetecha” which most closely translates as “that which birthed you” — and also to leave “beyt avicha” — the house of your father.

In order to start a new life, centered around a new belief system, there were three things Abram needed to release. In order to truly go forward, not just physically but also emotionally and spiritually, he would have to release three bonds from his past. He would have to let go of his ties to the land where he had been living (artzech). He would have to let go of his tie to his “father’s house/ beyt avicha” — implying letting go of the material ties to his father’s world, but also to his father’s worldview. And he must release himself from “moladetecha” — often translated as “kindred” or “birthplace” (and in some texts, not translated at all). By needing to that the circumstances of his birth determine what he can do with his life.”

(From the website “keshetonline.org” — https://www.keshetonline.org/resources/lech-lecha-walk-towards-yourself-parashat-lech-lecha/  I couldn’t find out anything about the listed author ‘Reb Kaplan’)

Matthew 4

This reading reminded me, as usual, of the fact that the Adversary has no problem quoting Scripture with the intention of deceiving, manipulating, and confusing the issue. (I’ve written about this before, so I won’t say anything more about it, just continue to remind myself to keep it in mind.)

No, what jumped out at me in this reading is that Jesus moves out of Nazareth and goes to live in Capernaum when he hears about John being put in prison. The Greek translation gives “dwell” and “find an abode.” But even Jesus said that he had “nowhere to lay his head.”

Seems like the readings for today are all about leaving. What makes us leave?  Does leaving have anything to do with getting somewhere else?

So much has been left behind, so much of what I love. Leaving, knowing that there is really no place to go… well…I choked on tears and ran out of words.

 

But then Rumi came to my rescue—

“Come, come, whoever you are,
wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving,
it doesn't matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come,

even if you have broken your vow a hundred times.
Come, come again, come.”

― Rumi