Shabbat Lech Lecha

Isn’t it quiet after the Holidays? They came and went, like a wave on the seashore.
The kids are back in school, the prayers and time spent in the Bet Knesset is much shorter and we don’t have as many guests.In this week’s Parasha, Avraham also emerges from a most amazing encounter with God. Hashem asks Avraham to look in all four directions: North, South, East and West and promises Avraham and his descendants The Land as far and wide as his eyes can see. Avraham is then suddenly thrust into a battle. This war is not of his choosing except for the fact that four kings and their armies have just captured his nephew Lot. These four kings have also recently vanquished another military alliance of five other kings. Avraham, with a mere 318 armed men, bravely pursues the four kings and returns with lot, undefeated, and having rescued all the prisoners of war. The Torah tells us that this episode was “four kings against five".

In Judaism, the number four is representative of physicality. All four earthly directions: North, South, East and West. Five however, is this same element of physicality, but with a spiritual entity. It’s physicality, but with bringing Hashem into the picture: North, South, East, West and “Heavenward”. This is actually an important goal and challenge in life. We live in a physical world which we must try to imbue with true authentic spirituality, contemplating God, learning Torah and fulfilling Mitzvot. Don’t just live a life of four when one can be at five. We have five fingers on the hands that work the land, or type emails. Five toes on the feet that walk to the office or go jogging. Five senses to experience the universe and, our Rabbi’s tell us, five levels of the soul.
Doesn’t Avraham’s challenge now sound familiar?
Just after experiencing an elevated experience of God, he is challenged with the war between the four kings and the five kings. The four kings defeat the five kings, and they now try to drag Avraham into the picture to be the fifth element, but Avraham won’t have it. We can only look to Hashem. This is the challenge after the Holidays, and if Avraham can defeat four massive armies with only 318 men. We can also think positively that we too can rise to the challenge. “Gimme a High Five!”