The Portion of Lech Lecha
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־אַבְרָם לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ׃ Hashem said to Avram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you. va-YO-mer a-do-NAI el av-RAM lekh l'-KHA may-ar-tz'-KHA u-mi-mo-lad-t'-KHA u-mi-BAYT a-VEE-kha el ha-A-retz a-SHER ar-E-ka וְכָל־אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ יְלִיד בָּיִת וּמִקְנַת־כֶּסֶף מֵאֵת בֶּן־נֵכָר נִמֹּלוּ אִתּוֹ׃ and all his household, his homeborn slaves and those that had been bought from outsiders, were circumcised with him.
This week’s portion is a busy one! Abram is commanded by God to leave the land he knows and journey to a place “that I will show thee”. Once there, Abram almost immediately experiences famine, family tension and war. Through it all, however, God is with him, promising him greatness. At the end of the portion, God commands Abram to circumcise himself and the members of his household. He renames him Abraham, and that is how he is known to this day.