And the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.” (Bereishis 13:1)
Avraham is commanded to leave the life he has known, venture forth into the great unknown and embrace his personal destiny. Upon arriving in the land of Canaan he is faced with the stark reality of regional famine that forces him to relocate (together with his family) to Egypt. It is in Egypt that Avraham faces a society hostile to his spiritual and moral views. Yet, Avraham and Sarah persevere and make their way back to Canaan. It is during this return journey to Canaan that the Torah shares an interesting piece of information.
And he went on his journeys, from the south and until Beth El, until the place where his tent had been previously, between Beth El and between Ai. (Bereishis 13:3)
Rashi comments:
And he went on his journeys: When he returned from Egypt to the land of Canaan, he went and lodged in the inns where he had lodged on his way to Egypt. This teaches you etiquette, that a person should not change his lodgings (Arachin 16b).
What is the deeper message and lesson being conveyed? The Baal Shem Tov explains: “We learn from here the need to be content and find happiness in what you have. When Avraham travelled to Egypt during the famine, he was poor and stayed at very modest accommodations. Upon his return from Egypt he was laden with gold and silver and yet, still went back to the same inns.”
The Baal Shem Tov refers to the attribute of histapkus, the ability to find happiness and contentment in what you have and not link your happiness to what you hope one day to possess. Avraham could have stayed at a 5-star resort on his way back to Canaan but chose not to. Avraham didn’t need the extra material comfort to feel happy, content or important. Avraham’s life-happiness stemmed from a deep sense of meaning and destiny.
There is an emptiness and longing within each of us. God created us that way. We are each an unfinished work in progress, requiring further refinement. God gives us a soul and a body. He provides us with strength and weaknesses, abilities and desires. It is our job to take the shell that is our body and fill it with holiness, accomplishments, spirituality, dreams and aspirations. But it is easy to fall into the trap of materialism. At times we try to fill the void with purchases and luxuries thinking that they will provide happiness and fulfillment, but they don’t. Often, we assume the problem is that we don’t have enough. “If only I had more, I would be happy.” To be clear, God encourages us to enjoy the material world. You can have the beautiful home, nice car and fine clothing if you realize these things will never make you happy. They can provide comfort and enjoyment but not happiness and contentment. Herein lies the greatness of Avraham Avinu. He was given the gift of destiny. He knew he was on a mission from God and that every step he took was meaningful. He didn’t need the luxurious accommodations to make him happy, content and feel important. For Avraham was already experiencing all these feelings from within.
