א) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ: (ב) וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה: (ג) וַאֲבָרֲכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה: (ד) וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְקֹוָק
1) The Eternal said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from the house of your father to the land that I will show you, 2) and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will expand your name, and it will be a blessing, 3) and I will bless those that bless you, and I will curse those that curse you, and all the families of the world will be blessed in you." 4) Abram went when the Eternal spoke to him. [translation B Stanley]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
Does this text seem to consider migration a normal or an unusual phenomenon? What are some of the reasons these texts give for why people might become immigrants? Do they still hold true for modern life?
What do you see as the implications of the fact that Judaism essentially begins with its founder’s immigration story (Abraham’s)?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)