A Life of Meaning

When the Parsha of Lech-Lecha (literally, Go forth) opens, we are introduced to Judaism’s great patriarch Avraham. He lives in Harran as part of a family led by his father Terach. Aside from that, at this point, we know very little about the person of Avraham. His quiet existence is interrupted when G-d calls upon him, at age seventy-five, to gather his family and belongings, leave the clan, and journey toward Canaan.

At this point in his life, it is clear to Avraham that he and Sarai will not produce a child. He yearns to produce an heir to pass on his spiritual legacy. In the coming weeks, we witness his legacy of love of G-d and of his fellow man. Whether pleading for the lives of the people of Sodom, showing hospitality to strangers, or rescuing his nephew from captivity and driving away the five kings of the east, Avraham contributed meaningfully to his new society. In a short time, despite living a stateless nomadic life with no title or access to power, the people of Canaan recognized his leadership and declared him a “Prince of G-d in our midst.”

Despite his achievements, Avraham’s new life is not easy. He suffers at the hands of nature, tyrants, and cruel fate. Victor Frankel, a psychologist and Holocaust survivor, witnessed the positive power of meaning and purpose in the face of suffering. He testified that in the camps there were those who went from barracks to barracks comforting, consoling, and even giving away their day’s only piece of bread. He wrote, “What man needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.” Avraham did not ask to live a life of struggle but he embraced it.

In today’s times, the desire for pleasure reigns supreme. This results in a selfish pursuit of good times and material possessions. Frankel warned that life lived without sacrifice and meaning creates an “existential vacuum.” He believed that this vacuum underlies the ills of modern society, e.g. depression, aggression, and addiction. Lech-Lecha teaches us that if we want to live a meaningful life, we must “Go forth,” leave behind our comfort quest, and choose to dedicate our days to pursuing higher goals. We can opt each day to pray, give Tzedaka, volunteer, study for the sake of learning, mentor, or coach. We advance Avraham’s legacy to our times and create our own when we stop asking what life has to offer us and seek out what life wants of us.