A word of Torah:    

         God said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. And I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. …And all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you. (Gen. 12:1-3).
         Abraham’s story is really every person’s story. We grow up and leave home on the journey of our lives. As we know, to move forward we need to be willing to leave the familiar behind and head off into the unknown. It is a journey to a promised land, to a vision of a more perfect world. It is every person’s story and yet it is unique.
         God promises to “make your name great.” (Gen. 12:2). Last week, the people of Babel said “let’s build a tower …and make a name for ourselves.” (Gen. 11:4). Now it becomes clear you don’t get a great name by building a tower and putting your name on it. You can’t make a great name for yourself; you are bestowed with greatness by others in appreciation. God ends the blessing of Abraham by saying: “And all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you” (Gen. 12:3).
         Lest Abraham think that if he succeeds in his journey the Jewish people will prosper, God makes clear that his personal journey and the particular journey of the Jewish people takes place in the context of the universal. It is never just an individual story. In particular, Abraham will be a blessing to all people because of his hospitality to other travelers on the road. He appreciates the challenges of traveling and so provides a welcoming oasis to other wanderers.
         There is much here of the language of blessing—berakhah. Clearly it means that we will experience many moments of blessing on our personal journeys. There will be experiences of pleasure and enjoyment. There will be experiences of joy and celebration. However, the greatest blessing is “you shall be a blessing” (Gen. 12:2). The greatest blessing is to be a source of blessing to others. It is not that we should have the most blessings in our life, but that by living a life of caring and compassion, we will bring blessings to others in the world. The point is not to accumulate blessings but to distribute blessings to those we meet on the road. We are to strive to be like Abraham and Sarah offering others to wash off the dust of the road, and the warmth of a friendly face amidst the long miles of the journey.