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In this week’s parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha, we are introduced to Avraham and his family. Though the story of Avraham comes many generations after Noach, I want to argue that there is a direct connection between this week’s parsha and last week’s parsha. Specifically, perhaps Avraham and his actions serve as a direct tikkun, or fixing, for the actions of the generation that built that Tower of Bavel.
In Parshat Noach we learned about the building of the Tower of Bavel and their subsequent punishment. Though their sin was not severe enough to warrant destruction, Hashem jumbled their language so that they abandoned their mission. Yet, what was their sin exactly? There does not seem to be anything explicitly wrong with their actions. In fact, it seems as though they came together for a collective purpose and were unified in their goal. Isn’t unity a good thing? Where was it that these people went wrong?
Chazal tell us that they were punished for not using their unity to connect to Hashem and spirituality. Instead they unified in order to distance themselves from Hashem and build themselves up, as the Pasuk tells us “וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם”,“Let us make for ourselves a name” (Noach, 11:4). What appears like unity is actually selfishness.
Turning to this week’s parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha starts off with the command/mission “Lech Lecha.” The Sfas Emes asks the question, why Avaraham? What did Avraham do to merit being spoken to by God? He answers that the command of Lech Lecha was not specific to Avraham; rather, it was a call to all mankind. It was a call to be yourself, to stand up for the things that you believe in, to not be influenced negatively by the people around you, and to be a leader for good. Avraham, however, was the only one who listened to the call, who tapped into that relationship with the Creator. Ultimately, he is the character who will redirect mankind to focus on unity for good and who will assist humanity in getting more closely in touch with spirituality and the Source of that spirituality. That is what singles Avraham out as the one to rectify the sins of the previous generation.
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