TORAH PRACTICE
Read the next passage
Follow Avram a little farther. Read two verses with fewer prompts, then learn with Rashi.
Read twice
Read once for the story. Read again to notice places and actions. Try the questions before opening their answers.
8. From there he moved to the mountain east of Beth-el and pitched his tent, with Beth-el to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called in the name of the LORD.
9. Avram journeyed on, continuing southward.
English rendering by Messianic Yeshiva
Avram is our ancestor later named Avraham, or Abraham. Beth-el and Ai are place names. “The LORD” represents God’s name; Hashem means “the Name,” a way we refer to God.
Try it yourself
What do 12 and 8–9 tell you?
Chapter 12, verses 8 and 9. Genesis is called Bereshit in Hebrew.
Where is the camp? What does Avram do there? Where does he travel next?
Beth-el is west of his camp and Ai is east. Avram pitches his tent, builds an altar to Hashem, and calls in Hashem’s name. He then continues southward.
Choose a word, action, or detail that makes you pause. Write a question about it before reading further. A useful question points back to something in the passage.
Notice with Rashi
Rashi is one of our great Torah commentators. Read his explanation of “his tent” in verse 8.
Rashi on Genesis 12:8 · Paraphrase
Rashi draws attention to the spelling אהלה, which ends with ה. He reads this spelling as a hint to “her tent.” He teaches that Avram pitched his wife’s tent first and his own afterward.
You can follow this comment before you can read Hebrew: notice the final letter, then notice the order of care Rashi teaches us to see.
- Avram built an altar.
- Avram pitched his wife’s tent first.
- I can notice another person’s needs before arranging my own comfort.
Which comes from the verse, which from Rashi, and which is a personal application?
Verse: Avram built an altar. Rashi: Avram pitched his wife’s tent first. Personal application: I can notice another person’s needs before arranging my own comfort.
Carry it with you
Think of someone who shares your home, workspace, or journey. What practical need could you notice today?
Before you finish, say one thing you observed in the verse, one thing you learned from Rashi, and one question you would like to study further.