When God first spoke to Abraham, He issued a command that changed history: “Lech lecha [go forth] from your country, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). That single call launched not only Abraham’s journey but the destiny of the Jewish people.
The haftarah for “Lech Lecha” (Isaiah 40:27-41:16) echoes that same call down through the ages. “Fear not, for I am with you, do not go astray for I am your God” (41:10). God reminds Israel that He “has taken you from the ends of the Earth” and “summoned you” (41:9). Exile, the haftarah insists, is temporary, whereas return is the ultimate goal.
Abraham is the prototype of every Jew who leaves the familiar to answer a higher calling. As the first oleh (immigrant) in Jewish history, he exchanged comfort for covenant, uncertainty for purpose. His aliyah was not only physical but spiritual. It was a journey into a partnership with God.
As the Radak (Rabbi David Kimhi, 1160-1235) explains, God is referring to Abraham as the one who was “called from the east” and “pursued righteousness” (41:2). To go up to the Land of Israel, then and now, is to pursue virtue, to live a life aligned with our divine mission.
In return, God calls Abraham “the one who loved Me” (41:8). Every Jew who follows that path, who chooses to move to Israel, embraces that same relationship with the creator. Aliyah is not a matter of geography alone; it is a declaration of connection and belonging.
From exile to return
“Those who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles” (40:31). No verse better describes the rebirth of our nation. After centuries of wandering, Jews have again “mounted up with wings,” literally returning home on flights from all parts of the globe.
From Yemenite Jews in Operation Magic Carpet to Soviet refuseniks, Ethiopian families, and Bnei Menashe from India, Isaiah’s vision has been realized in our own time. “I have taken you from the ends of the Earth… and said to you: ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you’” (41:9).
Each oleh who reaches the Land of Israel is a verse of prophecy come to life, a fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise. The modern State of Israel is not an accident of history but the unfolding of God’s plan through the vessel of human courage and dedication.
Many speak of aliyah in demographic or economic terms: building the nation, strengthening its security. But the haftarah reminds us that the essence is, in fact, spiritual: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God” (41:10).
To make aliyah is to trust that history bends toward redemption. It is to affirm that Jewish existence has a purpose beyond mere survival.
Each generation hears its own “Lech Lecha.” For some, it comes as an inner tug – a yearning to live where the Jewish future is being written. For others, it arrives through turmoil, reminding them that exile, however comfortable, is never truly home.
In our day, amid a rise in global antisemitism, Isaiah’s words ring with urgency: Wake up, return, and rebuild. “You shall rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel” (41:16).
Aliyah is not escape but engagement: with our people, our land, and our destiny. To ascend to Israel is to lift both body and soul. When the prophet says, “Do not be afraid,” he speaks to every Jew hesitating before that leap. Yes, challenges await, but so does partnership with the Eternal. The same God who called Abraham from Ur Kasdim now calls his descendants from New York, Paris, and Johannesburg.
Ultimately, “Lech Lecha” is an invitation to exchange dispersion for destiny and wandering for wonder. “‘I will help you,’ says the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (41:14).
The call of aliyah is timeless. It is the call to live not only in Israel but for Israel, to be part of the ongoing miracle that began with one man’s leap of faith and continues with ours.