The Journey's Reward

And God said to Abram: go out of your country, and from your homeland and from your father’s house, to the land I will show you.                   Genesis 12:1 Why did God not reveal the destination to Abram? In order to reward him for every step of his journey.                                             Breishit Rabba

          Rashi explains God’s instructions to Abram “lech l’cha” (literally “go for yourself”) thus: “for your good and for your benefit.”

          Rabbi Baruch Ber Leibowitz (1870–1940) explains that had God instructed Abram to go to the Land of Canaan, the mitzva would have consisted of Abram’s arrival within the Land and settling therein, and the journey itself would not have been a mitzva. By not mentioning the destination, God made every step of Abram’s journey a mitzva, for which he was rewarded.

          Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (1899–1985), takes a different approach, commenting that Abram would have received reward for the journey even had he known the destination, however, that reward would have been lessened by virtue of Abram’s personal benefit in realizing that he was nearing his destination, which would have diminished Abram’s performance of the mitzva for its own sake (lishma). Because Abram did not know his destination, he was rewarded on the highest level, since every step he took was solely to fulfill God’s command, without any aspect personal benefit.

          My father commented that while the rule is “mitzvot were not given to benefit from them,” the mitzva of settling the Land of Israel truly is for Abram’s benefit (and for the benefit his descendants throughout the generations).

          My brother added the following insightful comment on Rashi’s words: In view of Rashi distinguishing “good” and “benefit” as separate positive aspects of the commandment, the journey is a necessary precursor to, but separate from, the settlement. Thus, the journey is for your “good” (a more immediate bracha), while the permanent settlement of the land is for your “benefit” (a long-lasting bracha). 

          Therefore, the journey itself was for the good of Abram and his descendants, and the settlement for their benefit. Indeed, ultimately a Jew must realize that living in the Land of Israel versus the Diaspora is to his benefit, and the journey itself, even though the destination is known, is for his good.