Beyond the Headlines: The Soul Illuminates

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news 

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook wrote a short guiding sentence for each month of the year. This is what he wrote about Cheshvan, the new month that began last week:

“When the soul shines, even skies shrouded in fog radiate a pleasant light.”

Rav Kook offered this teaching specifically for Cheshvan, the onset of winter, the month that follows the spiritual heights of Tishrei and suddenly contains no holidays at all. It is a time when darkness settles earlier, the skies grow heavy and gray, and a long routine can bring with it a sense of dullness or gloom. Yet Rav Kook reminds us that if the soul is shining within, its light can transform even the thickest fog. With the power of the soul, even clouded skies can glow.

This insight also captures the reality of the past two years. We have witnessed how, even in a time of deep and overwhelming darkness, the soul of the Jewish people has continued to shine, and that light has shaped the world around us. In these very days, we are hearing the astonishing stories of some of the hostages. After two horrific years in the tunnels of Hamas, they returned with souls that still shone, radiating faith and hope in the face of terror and confusion.

And what is true of our nation is also true on a personal level. Each of us carries inner light. We do not need to rely solely on external circumstances to determine how we feel. When we choose to see the world through the light of the soul, the world reflects that light back to us.

The Courage to Stand Apart

I once heard a young man, stylishly dressed in the latest fashion, challenge another young man who was wearing traditional Chassidic clothing: “Do you really believe that our forefather Avraham dressed like you, in black and white, with a hat just like that?”

The Chassid smiled and replied: “I’m certain Avraham did not dress like me. But I’m just as certain that he looked around at the fashion trends of his time — and then chose to wear the exact opposite.”

We are not commanded to dress in outdated or unfashionable clothing. But there is a truth hidden in that answer. In his time, Avraham Avinu was an outsider, a revolutionary, a man who stood apart from his surroundings. Today we admire him as a spiritual giant, but in his own generation he was viewed as a radical voice challenging the entire cultural order.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, in his commentary on this parashah, emphasizes that Avraham is meant to instill in us the courage to stand as an alternative to the prevailing culture — and not be absorbed by it. This applies not only to global culture, but even to trends within Jewish society:

The isolation imposed upon Avraham placed him in total opposition to the spirit of his age. His values were the polar opposite of those around him. No one can claim, “I am righteous,” merely by meeting society’s standards. A person is answerable to God, not to the fashions of the moment. If the majority behaves in a way that is false, then one must serve God truthfully even if it means standing in the minority. Had we not inherited Avraham’s courage to be different, how could we have survived as a nation — then or now?

There are those who promote a “Judaism that keeps up with the times.” The very first command spoken to Avraham — “Lech Lecha,” go forth — is the Torah’s strongest rebuttal to that idea. Avraham’s first steps on the stage of history were not in harmony with the cultural spirit of Babylon, Assyria, Sidon, or Egypt.

And so it is for us. To walk in the path of Avraham is to be willing to stand apart, to hold fast to truth even when it is unpopular, and to have the courage and faith to live by God’s call — not by the fashions of the moment.

Five Thoughts on Parashat Lech Lecha

1. This week’s Torah portion is the third in the Torah, following Bereishit and Noach—and in a sense, humanity is beginning again for the third time. In the first two portions, universal dreams collapse: first in Gan Eden and later at the Tower of Babel. Two sweeping, global visions — one initiated by God, the other by human beings — both end with exile, fracture, and dispersion. The world needed distinct nations, distinct identities, and ultimately, a new kind of leader. In short, the world needed Avraham.

2. With Lech Lecha, Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu step onto the stage of history — and they have never stepped off. If humanity held a parade of its greatest influencers, Avraham and Sarah would lead it. Billions across the globe see themselves as their spiritual heirs.

3. Avraham and Sarah were the first olim chadashim, the first to make Aliyah. “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house” — Avraham is commanded, and he immediately sets out for Eretz Yisrael. In their footsteps, across generations, millions have followed.

4. The Parsha’s single mitzvah — brit milah — becomes the very first commandment Avraham fulfills. To this day, the vast majority of his descendants continue to uphold it with remarkable devotion and continuity.

5. It’s worth remembering that Avraham did not begin as a towering figure. In a world of idol worship, he stood alone, insisting on one God, on justice and compassion, on moral clarity, on optimism. Despite the ridicule and opposition, he persevered. Today, the world knows he was right.

Want to read more by Sivan Rahav Meir? Google The Daily Thought or visit sivanrahavmeir.com