Parashat Lekh-Lekha – Shabbat 10/24/2026

By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields

In Parashat Lekh-Lekha, Avram is called to leave everything familiar—his land, his birthplace, and his father’s house—and journey toward an unknown future. It is a command rooted in trust without guarantees. Avram responds not with certainty, but with movement: “Vayelech Avram ka’asher diber elav Hashem”—he goes as God has spoken to him.

This sense of stepping forward into uncertainty connects deeply to Shema Koleinu—“hear our voice.” In prayer, we often stand in moments of not knowing, much like Avram. We do not always see the destination or understand the path, but we still speak. Shema Koleinu is the expression of that faith: that even when the future is unclear, our voice still reaches God.

Avram’s journey is also a journey of relationship. God speaks, and Avram responds. In Shema Koleinu, we reverse the direction but remain within the same covenantal dialogue—we speak, and we trust that God responds. Both are acts of movement toward connection.

Lekh-Lekha teaches that faith begins with leaving what is secure. Shema Koleinu teaches that faith continues through speaking into uncertainty. Together, they remind us that even when we are on the road, unrooted and searching, we are not alone. Our voices travel with us, and they are heard along the way, guiding us toward promise and purpose.