The Need to Go Out

And the L-rd said to Abram, go out from your country, and from your family, and from your father's house (Gen. 12:1)

There are some lands that produce naturally strong and robust people, but as G-d implied to Abraham, a Jew mustn't rely on his inborn strength. Nor should he content himself with the positive character attributes he inherited from his family, or with the fact that his father was holy and righteous. Rather, every Jew must "go out" and expend his own efforts, as it states in Psalms (128:2), "For you shall eat the labor of your hands; happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you." (Daat Moshe)

Reprinted from the Parshat Lech Lecha 5761/2000 edition of L’Chaim.