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Lech L'cha (2025)

Shabbat Lech-L’cha

Dvar Torah - Hearing the call
God tells Abraham to leave his homeland and everything familiar to journey to the land that He will show him. This is how the story of the Jewish people begins. But why does it begin here? The Torah has just recorded ten full generations from Noah — so why does God now choose Abraham to begin His chosen nation?

The Sefat Emet explains that more than Abraham being chosen, Abraham listened and answered. Hashem, as it were, was calling out to the entire world: “Lech Lecha” — go forth! Embark on a spiritual journey! Move toward a new land and a new destiny.

Abraham possessed such character and spiritual greatness that even at the age of seventy he was still listening for the call — still yearning to draw closer to God and to bring more goodness into the world. He was willing to leave everything he knew behind to strive for something greater — and because he listened, the call became his.

We are the descendants of Abraham, and his spiritual DNA flows through us. The call to do great things is still being broadcast; we just need to make sure that we are listening — and ready to answer.

Biography
Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (1847–1905), known as the Sefat Emet after his major work, was the second Rebbe of the Ger (Gur) Hasidic dynasty in Poland. Orphaned young, he was raised by his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter (Chiddushei HaRim), who recognized his brilliance. Leading the Ger Hasidim from 1870, he inspired thousands through his combination of intellectual rigor and deep spirituality. His weekly homiletics, collected in Sefat Emet, explore central topics in Jewish thought and are studied around the Jewish world.

Shabbat Times
Yerushalayim 16:10/17:27
Tel-Aviv 16:30/17:28
Auckland 19:35/20:35
Johannesburg 18:06/19:01
Berlin 16:20/17:29
NYC 17:35/18:34
Vancouver 17:34/18:39
More times

Shabbat Shalom!



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