The Stars Are the Message
Lech Lecha 5786
אַל־תִּירָא. “Don’t be afraid.” This is one of many messages that God gives to Abram in this week’s parshah — at this point he’s still Abram, his name hasn’t been changed to Abraham.
אַל־תִּירָא. “Don’t be afraid.” Something about this jumped out at me. Maybe its simplicity, or its surprise. We’re not given any context. This scene seems to come out of nowhere; we’re not told what prompted God’s comforting words. So let’s read on, let’s see what God says next, because that might provide us with a clue. אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ, God says to Abram, “I am a shield to you.”
That God uses this military metaphor has led many of our commentators to link this scene with what comes in the preceding chapter. After his nephew is taken captive in a regional war, Abram raises an army to get him back. With Abram’s help — and God’s — the four belligerent kings are defeated and the captives are freed. Perhaps, our sages suggest, Abram is afraid that the defeated kings will try to gather new strength and seek revenge, or that their sons or allies will.
I might be able to buy that, if it wasn’t for Abram’s response to God’s reassurance…
