“Lech Lecha – go yourself
Rashi: Lech Lecha refers to “for your pleasure and for your good”
Divrei Mordechai: The careful distinction that Rashi makes derives from the double language “Lech Lecha”. (The double language comes to teach us the principle that Hashem is telling Avraham to make his journey) for his own pleasure and for his own good. Nonetheless, we need to investigate what is the definition of pleasure and good and what is the difference between them.
It appears that there are activities that are pleasurable, but are not ultimately for a person’s own good (e.g. eating crème brulle every night for dinner – EM), and (similarly) there are activities which are good for a person but not necessarily pleasurable (e.g. taking terribly tasting medicine as a kid – EM). And this was therefore Gd’s promise to Avraham, that his departure would lead to activities which would be both pleasurable and for his own good, i.e. leading to his ultimate purpose. (We should work on getting both pleasure and goodness from this world at the same time, e.g. having a great meal and taking a moment to thank Hashem , or even better, having a great meal and sharing it with someone who is in need– EM)
V’escha l’goi gadol - “And I will make you into a great nation”
Rashi comments: “that I will make known your goodness throughout the world”’
Divrei Mordechai: It seems to me that Avraham was different from the other tzaddikim in the world in that he chose to mix with and worrying about people, young and oldindescriminantly, to bring them under the wings of the Sheckinah. (When Avraham) formed a pact with Avimelech and planted an Eshel tree, we learn in the Gemarrah that these events refer to the fact that Avraham was actually establishing an inn, all for a single purpose which was to gather close to himself young, old, even small children and to serve them all.
This (example of Avraham) stands in contrast to previous tzaddikim who kept to themselves day and night in their service of Hashem, and thereby deprived other people of the benefit of seeing their example of how to serve Hashem, and were not able to benefit from the natural admonishment and examples in serving Hashem by seeing his ways and actions. Alternatively, (when previous tzaddikim would involve themselves with others lives) they would focus on a single category, such as the young or the old, but few would indiscriminantly involve themselves with every category of person, but such was the way of Avraham Our Father. (When person is interested in all of mankind, he is showing that everyone is created in the image of Gd, he is respecting everything and demonstrating that nothing is devoid of Gds goodness – EM)
“Young adolescent boys, young adolescent girls, the elderly and small children (Psalms), (In this passage, King David refers to everything in existence has the requirement to – as it were – sing praises to Hashem).
We learn in the Gemarrah that Avraham Our Father printed a coin. On one side was a young adolescent boy and a young adolescent girl, and on the other side was an old woman and an old man. (This coin was meant) to hint to the fact that Avraham involved himself in people of all ages and all walks of life, actuating the principle referred to in the above psalm – that the entire world will sing praises to Hashem.
A coin which is going to be passed from hand to hand can not be made of any metal, rather it must be made of very sturdy material.
And this then is what Hashem was telling Avraham, “I will make you known in the world”, (a phrase which derives from the way we refer to a coin), specifically a coin on which you will place a young girl and young boy on one side, and an elderly woman and elderly man on the other, all referring to your specific work, which is to bring them all under the wings of the Shechinah, and this coin signifies the praises that will be created (by the people you effect), and which will be received. “
