Glossary of Terms Used in the Lech Lecha Weekly Torah Portion

Go Forth

Go forth from your desire, regardless of how fine it may seem to you. You must come to a new state, a new degree. Each time, “Go forth” indicates that you will constantly be in motion, going upward.

Canaan

Canaan is the land of Israel before it has been fully corrected.

Hunger

“Hunger” means I cannot satisfy my will to receive if I am as an Egyptian, or that I cannot satisfy my desire to bestow if I am as a Jew, seeking unification with the Creator.

Sister

There are several names that we use to refer to the will to receive. Among them are “sister,” “wife,” and “servant.” The word, “sister,” refers to the will to receive you can use with filling of Hochma (wisdom), as it is written, “Say unto wisdom, ‘You are my sister’” (Proverbs, 7:4).

Maidservant and Woman

A “maidservant” is when a person uses the desire to bestow in order to bestow. A “woman” is when a person fills her with receiving in order to bestow, from which it is already possible to bear children.

Fertility, Birth

The two above words refer to when you beget your next degree, your next state.

Covenant

A covenant is when you acquire the willpower, understanding, sensation, and support, when you are assisted in shifting from state to state without failing. If there is love between us today, we make a covenant to sustain it tomorrow, as well. The covenant helps us when we really want it to happen tomorrow. It is a force in Nature that helps us maintain our state.

Summary

The key message of the portion is truly, “go forth.” We move from state to state only through the changes in our desires. Each moment we examine and scrutinize our desires in order to decide which desires we can use, and which ones we still cannot, which desires we should “kill,” and which ones we should “cut off” from ourselves.

I always scrutinize how I can advance through love of others and toward the love of the Creator. “Go forth” is the way that guides me, and it is the only one that I walk.