the word “thee” here, says R. Eleazar, means “for thine own advantage, to prepare thyself, to perfect thy degree”. “Get thee forth”: that is, it is not fitting for thee to remain here among these sinners.
The real truth of the matter is this. God inspired Abram with a spirit of wisdom so that he was able to discover by means of certain tests the characters of all the inhabited countries of the world. He surveyed them and weighed them in the balance, and discovered the (heavenly) powers to which each is entrusted.
When he came to the central point of the inhabited world he tried to weigh it, but obtained no response. He tried to find the power to which it was entrusted, but could not grasp it, though he weighed again and again.
He noted that from that point the whole world was planted out, and he once more tested and weighed and found that the upper power in charge of it was one which could not be gauged, that it was recondite and hidden, and not like the (powers in charge of) the outlying parts of the inhabited world.
He once more reflected, and came to the conclusion that as the whole world had been planted out in all directions from that point in the centre, so the power in charge of it was the one from which issued all the powers in charge of the other quarters of the world and to which they were all attached: hence “they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan”.
He then once more reflected and weighed in the balance and tested to find out the real truth about that place, but he could not get to the root of it. He felt himself baffled by the obscurity which surrounded it, and therefore “they came to Haran and abode there”.
The reason, as we have seen, is that Abraham was able to test all the upper powers that rule the world in all the quarters of the inhabited section, and did actually test them and find out which of the guiding powers among the stars and constellations had sway over which, and he weighed successfully all the inhabited parts of the globe. But when he came to this place he was met with a baffling obscurity which he could not penetrate.
When God, however, perceived his efforts and his desire, He straightway revealed Himself to him and said: GET THEE FORTH, so as to know thyself and prepare thyself,
FROM THY LAND: from that side of the inhabited world to which thou wast hitherto attached, AND FROM THY KINDRED, from that wisdom wherewith thou didst cast thy horoscope, noting the hour and second of thy birth and the star that was then in the ascendant,
AND FROM THY FATHER’S HOUSE, that thou shouldst not heed thy father’s house, even if thou couldst hope in virtue of thy father’s house for some prosperity in this world; therefore get thee gone from this wisdom and from this consideration.
That this explanation is right may be proved thus. They had left Ur of the Chaldees and were in Haran. Why, then, should God say to Abram, “Get thee forth from thy land and from thy kindred”? It must therefore be as we have explained.TO THE LAND WHICH I SHALL SHOW THEE: i.e. I shall show thee that which thou wast not able to discover; the power of that land so recondite and obscure.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לֶךְ לְךָ, לְגַרְמָךְ לְאַתְקָנָא גַּרְמָךְ, (לאתתקפא) לְאַתְקָנָא דַּרְגָּא דִילָךְ. לֶךְ לְךָ, לֵית אַנְתְּ (ס"א כדאי) לְמֵיקַם הָכָא בֵּין חַיָּיבִין אִלֵּין.
the word “thee” here, says R. Eleazar, means “for thine own advantage, to prepare thyself, to perfect thy degree”. “Get thee forth”: that is, it is not fitting for thee to remain here among these sinners.
וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה לֶךְ לְךָ דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם רוּחָא דְחָכְמְתָא, וְהֲוָה יָדַע וּמְצָרֵף (צנורי) סִטְרֵי דְּיִישׁוּבֵי עָלְמָא, וְאִסְתַּכַּל בְּהוּ וְאַתְקַל בְּתִיקְלָא וְיָדַע חֵילִין דִּי מְמַנָּן עַל סִטְרֵי יִישׁוּבָא.
The real truth of the matter is this. God inspired Abram with a spirit of wisdom so that he was able to discover by means of certain tests the characters of all the inhabited countries of the world. He surveyed them and weighed them in the balance, and discovered the (heavenly) powers to which each is entrusted.
כַּד מָטָא לְגוֹ נְקוּדָה דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְיִישׁוּבָא תָּקִיל בְּתִיקְלָא וְלָא הֲוָה סָלִיק בְּיָדֵיהּ. אַשְׁגַּח לְמִנְדַע חֵילָא דִי מְמַנָּא עֲלָהּ וְלָא יָכִיל לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ,
When he came to the central point of the inhabited world he tried to weigh it, but obtained no response. He tried to find the power to which it was entrusted, but could not grasp it, though he weighed again and again.
תָּקִיל כַּמָּה זִמְנִין וְחָמָא דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן אִשְׁתִּיל כָּל עָלְמָא, אַשְׁגַּח וְצָרַף וְתָקַל לְמִנְדַע וְחָמָא דְּהָא חֵילָא עִלָּאָה דְּעֲלָהּ לֵית לֵיהּ שִׁעוּרָא עָמִיק וְסָתִים וְלָאו אִיהוּ כְּגַוְונֵי דְּסִטְרֵי דַּרְגֵּי דְיִשּׁוּבָא.
He noted that from that point the whole world was planted out, and he once more tested and weighed and found that the upper power in charge of it was one which could not be gauged, that it was recondite and hidden, and not like the (powers in charge of) the outlying parts of the inhabited world.
אַשְׁגַח וְתָקִיל וְיָדַע דְּהָא כְּמָּה דְּמֵהַהִיא נְקוּדָה אֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּיִשּׁוּבָא מִנֵּיהּ אִשְׁתִּיל כָּל עָלְמָא לְכָל סִטְרוֹי. הָכִי נָמֵי יָדַע דְּהָא חֵילָא דְּשָׁרֵי עֲלָהּ מִתַּמָּן נָפְקוּ כָּל שְׁאָר חֵילִין דִּמְמַנָן עַל כָּל סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא, וְכֻלְהוּ בֵּיהּ אֲחִידָן. כְּדֵין (בראשית י״א:ל״א) וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִים לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן.
He once more reflected, and came to the conclusion that as the whole world had been planted out in all directions from that point in the centre, so the power in charge of it was the one from which issued all the powers in charge of the other quarters of the world and to which they were all attached: hence “they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan”.
עוֹד אַשְׁגַּח וְתָקִיל וְצָרִיף לְמֵיקַם עַל בְּרִירָא דְמִלָּה דְּהַהוּא אֲתַר וְלָא הֲוָה יָדַע וְלָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקַם עֲלָהּ לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא תּוּקְפָא דְּהַאי אֲתַר וְלָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקַם עֲלֵיהּ מִיָּד וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד חָרָן וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם.
He then once more reflected and weighed in the balance and tested to find out the real truth about that place, but he could not get to the root of it. He felt himself baffled by the obscurity which surrounded it, and therefore “they came to Haran and abode there”.
מַאי טַעְמָא דְאַבְרָהָם. אֶלָּא דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה יָדַע וְצָרִיף בְּכָל אִנּוּן שָׁלְטָנִין מְדַבְּרֵי עָלְמָא בְּכָל סִטְרוֹ דְיִשּׁוּבָא, וְהֲוָה תָּקִיל וְצָרִיף אִנּוּן דְּשָׁלְטִין בְּסִטְרֵי דְיִשּׁוּבָא מְדַבְּרֵי כֹּכְבַיָא וּמַזָּלֵיהוֹן, מַאן אִנּוּן תַּקִּיפִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין, וְהֲוָה תָּקִיל כָּל יִשּׁוּבֵי דְעָלְמָא (ולא) וְהֲוָה סָלִיק בִּידוֹי. כַּד מָטָא לְהַאי אֲתַר חָמָא תַּקִּיפוּ דְּעֲמִיקִין וְלָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקַם בֵּיהּ.
The reason, as we have seen, is that Abraham was able to test all the upper powers that rule the world in all the quarters of the inhabited section, and did actually test them and find out which of the guiding powers among the stars and constellations had sway over which, and he weighed successfully all the inhabited parts of the globe. But when he came to this place he was met with a baffling obscurity which he could not penetrate.
כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִילֵיהּ וְתִיאוּבְתָּא דִילֵיהּ. מִיָּד אִתְגְּלִי עֲלֵיהּ וְאָמַר לֵיהּ לֶךְ לְךָ. לְמִנְדַע לָךְ וּלְאַתְקָנָא גַּרְמָךְ.
When God, however, perceived his efforts and his desire, He straightway revealed Himself to him and said: GET THEE FORTH, so as to know thyself and prepare thyself,
מֵאַרְצְךָ, מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְיִשּׁוּבָא דְּהֲוִית מִתְדַּבַּק בֵּיהּ. וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ, מֵהַהוּא חָכְמָה דְּאַתְּ מַשְׁגַּח וְתָקִיל תּוֹלְדָתָא דִילָךְ וְרִגְעָא וְשַׁעֲתָא וְזִמְנָא דְּאִתְיְילִידַת בֵּיהּ וּבְהַהוּא כּוֹכָבָא וּבְהַהוּא מַזָּלָא.
FROM THY LAND: from that side of the inhabited world to which thou wast hitherto attached, AND FROM THY KINDRED, from that wisdom wherewith thou didst cast thy horoscope, noting the hour and second of thy birth and the star that was then in the ascendant,
וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, דְּלָא תַשְׁגַּח בְּבֵיתָא דְּאֲבוּךְ. וְאִי אִית לָךְ שָׁרְשָׁא לְאַצְלָחָא בְּעָלְמָא מִבֵּיתָא דְּאֲבוּךְ, בְּגִין כָּךְ לֶךְ לְךָ מֵחָכְמָה דָּא וּמֵאַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דָּא.
AND FROM THY FATHER’S HOUSE, that thou shouldst not heed thy father’s house, even if thou couldst hope in virtue of thy father’s house for some prosperity in this world; therefore get thee gone from this wisdom and from this consideration.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָכִי הוּא, דְּהָא נָפְקוּ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים וְהֲווּ בְּחָרָן, אַמַּאי יֵימָא לֵיהּ לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ. אֶלָּא עִקְּרָא דְמִלְּתָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר. אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ. אַרְאֶךָּ מַה דְּלָא יְכִילַת לְמֵיקַם עֲלֵיהּ וְלָא יְכִילַת לְמִנְדַע חֵילָא דְּהַהִיא אַרְעָא דְּאִיהוּ עָמִיק וְסָתִים:
That this explanation is right may be proved thus. They had left Ur of the Chaldees and were in Haran. Why, then, should God say to Abram, “Get thee forth from thy land and from thy kindred”? It must therefore be as we have explained.TO THE LAND WHICH I SHALL SHOW THEE: i.e. I shall show thee that which thou wast not able to discover; the power of that land so recondite and obscure.