From Adam to Kanaani: My Personal Lech Lecha
By Rabbi Mikhail Salita
This year, the Torah portion Vayeilech coincides with Rosh Hashanah. At first glance, it may seem like a simple calendar overlap. But in Torah, there are no coincidences. Vayeilech, with its simple words “And Moses went”, and Rosh Hashanah, with the sound of the shofar, carry the same message: go forward.
Adam — From Paradise into History
The first man, Adam, lived in paradise where nothing was lacking. But after his sin, he was expelled. It seemed like a tragedy. Yet precisely through this exile humanity was given the path of labor, struggle, and growth. Through history, mistakes, and repair, we are walking toward Mashiach. Adam took the first step — from ease into difficulty — so that one day humanity could reach eternity.
Abraham — Breaking Ties for Eternity
Later, God spoke to Abraham: “Lech lecha — go forth, from your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).
This was not only a call to travel, but a call to break away. Abraham severed ties with family who pulled him in the wrong direction. He abandoned a successful family business — the selling of idols — in order to find the path to God. Sometimes even those closest to us can hold us back from our divine mission. Abraham chose eternity over temporary success. His step became the beginning of the people of Israel.
Moses — The Step of a Nation
Centuries later, Moses said: “Vayeilech Moshe — and Moses went” (Deuteronomy 31:1). These were his final steps. He would not cross the Jordan, but the people would. His Vayeilech was a message for every generation: do not be afraid to move forward, even if it means saying goodbye to the past.
Israel and the Shofar
Rosh Hashanah brings us back to this same truth. The shofar calls: do not remain in the old. Sometimes you must break free even from what is familiar, in order to reach a higher level. The shofar cries as a lament, as a shout, and as joy. It reminds us that ahead lies Mashiach and redemption — but we arrive there only by stepping forward.
My Personal
Lech Lecha
And here is my story. For a long time, I searched for a cat of the Kanaani breed — rare, bred in Israel, and today on the verge of extinction. It was a long journey, and I thank God that He allowed me to find her. For me, this became more than finding an animal. It became my personal Lech Lecha and my Vayeilech.
Just as Adam left paradise so that humanity could journey toward Mashiach. Just as Abraham left family and business for the sake of faith. Just as Moses took his final steps to open a future for his people. So too, in my small story, I found the Kanaani — to help preserve and revive it, and at the same time, to rediscover and revive a part of myself.
This is not coincidence. It is Hashgacha Pratit — divine providence. It is miyad mamash — an immediate sign that everything connects into one road: from Adam to Abraham, from Moses to Mashiach, from past to future, from disappearing to renewed. And I believe that the very story of the Kanaani cat — its near extinction and its revival in Israel — deserves to be told in a book of its own.
One Road and One Blessing
That is why I believe: even the smallest step, even a personal story, is part of the great Jewish road. Each of us hears our own call of Lech Lecha. Each of us has our Vayeilech. And together, all of these steps add up to one — the step of Mashiach, the step of full redemption.
Shana Tova Umetuka — a sweet and good year to all my friends, acquaintances, and of course, to the entire Jewish people. May this year be a step toward light, faith, and Geulah.