Weekly Torah portion
Parascha Lech Lecha לך לך
Genesis (Bereschit) · Genesis 12:1-17:27
„Go Forth"
Summary
G"d commands Abram to leave his home and family to travel to the land of Canaan. In exchange, G"d promises to make him a great nation and a blessing to all families of the earth.
During their journeys, Abram and his wife Sarai face challenges including a famine in the land and a separation from their nephew Lot. G"d establishes a formal covenant with Abram, promising that his descendants will inherit the land.
The portion concludes with the commandment of circumcision as a physical sign of the eternal bond between G"d and Abram’s descendants, at which point their names are changed to Abraham and Sarah.
People
Abraham
Known as the first Patriarch, he demonstrated complete faith in G"d by leaving his past behind.
Sarah
The first Matriarch of Israel who accompanied her husband on his spiritual journey to Canaan.
Lot
Abram's nephew who chose to settle in the fertile but wicked city of Sodom.
Hagar
The Egyptian handmaid who became the mother of Abram's first son, Ishmael.
Melchizedek
The King of Salem and a priest who greeted Abram with bread and wine after a great battle.
Key commandments (mitzvot)
Brit Milah · Genesis 17:10
The commandment for every Jewish male to be circumcised on the eighth day of life as a sign of the covenant.
Full text
Quiz & badge
Answer every question correctly to earn the badge.
1. Where did G"d tell Abram to go?
2. What was the physical sign of the covenant between G"d and Abraham?
3. Why did Abram and Lot eventually separate?
4. What was Sarah's name before G"d changed it?