Parashat Lech Lecha begins with Hashem instructing Avram to gather his family and leave their land (lech lecha meiartzecha). The common explanation for this pasuk is that this command was one of the 10 tests that Hashem had given to Avraham. However, I'd like to offer an alternate explanation...
As a Rebbe in a High School, I am often presented by my students with the challenge of "prove to me that G-d exists." When I offer them scriptural proofs (a favorite of mine is Hashem's promise that you should rest your field in the shmittah year and that he will provide you with enough crop in the 6th year to last you into the 8th), they tell me that they don't want scripture. Rather, they want something physical, something tangible - they want "a miracle."
We are taught that Nimrod attempted to kill Avraham Avinu by throwing him into a furnace. Miraculously, Avraham emerged unscathed by the incident. It is after this episode that Hashem instructs him to leave his land. The timing of all this doesn't seem to make any sense!! Avraham had been trying so hard to spread the truth of Hashem to the rest of the people, surely upon seeing him emerge from a fire they would be ready to heed his words - why send him someplace else to begin his work all over again??
The answer to this question is the same answer to my students' request. True, upon seeing Avraham emerge from the fire unharmed, the people would be ready to accept Hashem. However, they wouldn't be accepting Him because they believed him to be Emet (truth) - they would be accepting him because they just watched Avraham walk out of a pit of fire. They would be willing to accept ANYTHING Avraham told them at this point!! Having just witnessed this miracle, everyone would now be inspired to accept Hashem into their lives. The problem with inspiration is that it runs out. In order to truly accept Hashem into one's life, they must do so out of truth. If we simply accept him based on an inspirational story or incident (a miracle), then the acceptance will not be permanent. It will last us a short while but, eventually, we will need another inspiration or miracle to take it's place if we are to continue believing. If we don't get that inspiration, then our belief will be lost.
Hashem instructs Avraham to leave his land and start over because He is teaching us that we shouldn't base our religious belief or practice on the "wow factor." Upon leaving Haran, Avraham and Sara spread the name of Hashem by welcoming travelers into their home and teaching them the truth of Hashem. They took the wow factor out of the picture!
The message here is very profound: if we are to have a relationship with Hashem, we must establish that relationship by seeking out answers. We do so by attending classes, studying Torah, etc. The relationship cannot simply be built on inspiration - for if it is, that relationship will surely dwindle in time.
Lech Lecha Meiartzecha - leave your land (and the miracle) behind and go someplace new, where you can teach the truth of Hashem, not the wow factor...
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