Shavuah tov, a good new week to you. I hope that your Shabbat was a good one.

This week is parashat Lech-lecha, including the Holy One’s famous call to Avram,

Lech lecha mei’artzecha, mee’molad’techa, u’mee’beit avich… Go forth from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s land…and go to a land that I will show you.

G-d challenges Avram with an enormous challenge, one that changed his life, his family’s life and the life of our people. Avram and Sarai reached within themselves and risked everything to follow G-d’s call and our people’s life began.

There are times when the challenges before us can seem immense. Perhaps remembering the ability of our ancestors to find the courage, strength and faith for their lives will help us find the same.