Parsha:

Lech Lecha,  Vayeitzei 

Description

The blessing of innumerable descendants is presented to Avraham with two similes - the stars of the heavens and the sand at the shore of the sea - however, there is a third, often overlooked image that is used, quite selectively. "Your seed will be like the dust of the Land; that just as the dust of the Land cannot be reckoned, similarly, your seed will not be counted." What is the special message of this image, which only appears in two places - when Avraham is told to look at the Land and when Yaakov is promised that his seed will spread in all four directions of the Land. We explore the unique message of this image, while proposing a distinct and deliberate message to the "stars" image.