Lech Lecha Themes Conversation

Theme 1–Moving from one place to another

Discussion

1. Have you ever had to move from one place to another with your family? If so, why did you move and how did you feel about it?
2. If you could move anywhere, where would it be? Why?

Text

1. What do we know about Avraham when God asked him to move to the Land? To what extent would this have been reason to want to go or not to go?
2. What did God promise Avraham if he goes to the Land as God had commanded? How might that promise have impacted his decision?
3. What do you think you would have done had you been in Avraham’s shoes? Why?

Quotes

1. “משנה מקום משנה מזל” (מבוסס על התלמוד).

2. “You may feel like home is the anchor in your storm, but leaving may well save you from drowning” (Unknown).
3. “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending” (Carl Bard).
4. “The sweetest part of leaving home is knowing, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you’ll always carry it with you” (Unknown).
5. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving” (Albert Einstein).

Theme 2—Facing challenges

Discussion

1. Name one challenge or difficult circumstance you faced at home, at school or with your friends? How did you address it?
2. What are some of the challenges you anticipate in the future?

Text

1. What is the first challenge that Avraham had to face after arriving in the Land and how did he deal with it? What do you think of his decision?
2. What was the arrangement that Avraham had with Sarah? Why did he have this arrangement?
3. What do you think of this arrangement?

Quotes

1. “When times are good, be grateful, and when times are bad, be graceful” (Dustin Poirier).
2. “Life keeps throwing me stones. And I keep finding the diamonds” (Ana Claudia Antunes).
3. “Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity” (Lou Holtz).
4. “If you’re going through hell, keep going” (Winston Churchill).
5. “Everything will be okay in the end. If it isn’t okay, it isn’t the end” (Paulo Coelho).

Theme 3—Sharing space

Discussion

1. Do you share a bedroom with your siblings? If so, to what extent do you like it? If not, would you like to share your room?
2. Did you ever share a room with others at camp or elsewhere? How was that?

Text

1. Read 13:1-12. Who are the people sharing space? What was the problem they had in sharing this space?
2. How did Avraham propose to solve this problem?
3. What do you think of his solution?

Quotes

1. “Sharing is how I learn” (Laird Hamilton).
2. “Sharing a room with the person you want most is like sharing a room with an open fire” (Rainbow Rowell).
3. “The miracle is this: The more we share the more we have” (Leonard Nimoy).
4. “Sharing a room with a sibling means learning to compromise, but also creating a lifetime of shared memories” (unknown).
5. “Siblings: the only enemy you can’t live without” (unknown).

Theme 4—Faith

Discussion

1. Do you have faith in God? If so, what is the basis of your faith?
2. Have you ever experienced anything that challenged your faith?

Text

1. Read 15:1-6. What does God promise Avraham?
2. Why do you think it might have been difficult for Avraham to have faith that God would keep this promise?
3. What might have helped Avraham in his faith?

Quotes

1. “וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי בֶּאֱמוּנָה וְיָדַעַתְּ אֶת יְהֹוָה” (הושע ב׳, כ״ב)
2. “מי שיש לו אמונה— חייו חיים, והוא מבלה ימי חייו בטוב תמיד” (רביי נחמן מברסלב).
3. “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark” (Rabindranath Tagore).
4. “Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe” (Voltaire).
5. “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith” (Paul Tillich).

Theme 5—teasing others

Discussion

1. Have you ever been teased by others? How did you react to it?
2. Have you ever teased others? If so, can you explain why you did so?

Text

1. Read 16:1-5. Who was Hagar and what was her role in the story?
2. What words in the text suggest that Hagar was teasing Sarah? What was she teasing her about? What do you think she might have said to her?
3. What did Sarah do in response to Hagar’s teasing? What do you think of Sarah’s response?

Quotes

1. “שומר פיו ולשונו שומר מצרות נפשו” (משלי כא, כג).
2. “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” (Margaret Atwood).
3. “People who make fun of others usually cannot think of a single good thing to say about themselves” (Mary Smith).
4. “Strong people don’t put others down… they lift them up” (Michael P. Watson).
5. “If people make fun of you then you’re probably doing something right” (Amy Lee).