Ostensibly the phrase Lech Lecha means ‘trek out into the wide yonder’. Abraham is sent on a mission. But the destination is left vague. Only the origin of the journey is defined – the points of departure.

•The first point of departure is: Me-artzecho: leave your land. The deeper implication is that Abraham is to analyze the way that his cultural environment has influenced him – and move away from that influence.
•The second point of departure is Mimoladeticho: leave your birthplace. Here the implication is that he must discern his genetic make-up, acquired at birth and conception, and to choose to negate those genetic influences that contradict self-mastery.
•The third point is Mibeis Avicho, leave your father’s home. In other words to discard the formative childhood influences that were acquired through poor parenting and choose higher standards of attitude and behavior.
•Only then can you reach your destination – Ha’aretz Asher Ar’eko, the land of your destination. In a higher sense this ‘land’ refers to a state of spiritual transcendence where the higher purpose of life can be found.
•This is a message to all of us: to achieve our life’s goals often necessitates divesting ourselves of faults, faults acquired by a less than desirable surrounding culture, poor parenting, and challenges of character occasioned by genetic inclination.
•Lech Lecha teaches us we have the ability to overcome all three.