Israelcraft

Parashat Lech Lecha “Go Forth”  לֶךְ־לְךָ Genesis 12:1-17:27 is the 3rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading beginning after Rosh Ha Shana, the Jewish New Year.

It recounts Abram's first encounter with G-d, when his name becomes Abraham;
his journey to Canaan;
a trip to Egypt due to famine;
Sara, his wife's, maidservant, Hagar, becoming pregnant with Abram's child and being sent away by Sara; 
Hagar's return and the birth of Ishmael; 
the covenant with G-d to make Israel a great nation; 
and G-d’s commandment of circumcision.

Abraham Counts the Stars

Lech Lecha Tallit

Tallit Band I
Abraham and his family travel west to the land of Canaan.
Translation of Hebrew Genesis 12:1 “Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and from they father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee.”

Tallit Band II
Abraham gazes at the stars. [The image of Abraham is taken from E.M. Lillian’s nineteenth century etching “Abraham Counts the Stars.”]
Translation of Hebrew Genesis 15, 5:
הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים…וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִֽהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ
“Look now toward heaven, and count the stars…so shall be thy seed.”