Lech Lecha

For an interesting perspective on why 'ה didn't reveal to Avraham to what land he was traveling, הגרי"ל חסמן זצ"ל explains that until a person attains great heights, it’s impossible for him to fathom their greatness since the way of man is to see himself in his present situation. Therefore 'ה told Avraham אל הארץ אשר אראך to the land that I will show you, for only after Avraham gets there will he be able to comprehend the magnitude of 'ה's gift.

So, imagine, says the לקח טוב , how hard it must have been for Avraham to build up a desire to leave everything, not understanding where or why he's going. That's why this is considered one of Avraham's ten tests. Even though 'ה told him to go & it would all be good for him, following blindly without knowing where you’re going is very difficult.  

Imagine also how difficult it had to be for Lot, who wasn't commanded by 'ה to go, yet went anyway with Avraham. His challenge must have been even greater than Avraham's, to go with blind faith when not even commanded.
How do we understand what happened later on, then, that Lot ended up moving to Sodom, living with the most decadent people in the history of man and falling so low!?

We all have had times in our lives when we tried to change or know people that have tried to change their ways for the better yet ended up reverting back to the old ways; why is that? The intention for change is real so why is it so difficult to succeed?

To answer, הגרי"ל חסמן זצ"ל continues that in order for real change to take place & be lasting, one has to clear the slate, eradicate all bad thoughts & purify his heart & mind. It’s similar to trying to write on paper that's already written on; the new writing will not be discerned until the previous writing has been cleared. So ,too, in order to make real change, it’s not enough to do good; you first have to clear the slate and then do good.

This explains why the posuk’s command to leave is out of order. First, it says לך לך מארצך leave your land; then it says  וממולדתך  your city; finally ,  מבית אביך  your father’s home.  In reality, it should have first said, leave your home, then your city & then your land. However, 'ה is really telling him to leave his past so it goes from the easiest to hardest. First, leave the influences of the land; then the influences of your town which is more difficult & finally, the influences of the home, which is most difficult. Afterwards, he would be prepared to go  אל הארץ אשר אראך , the land that 'ה shows him.

That was the difference between Avraham & Lot. Avraham cleaned his slate & left everything behind whereas Lot didn't & therefore failed at the first challenge.   
So why did Lot go? If he wasn't willing to change, why would he leave the comforts of home & travel with Avraham?

The answer lies in the wording of the posuk וילך אברם כאשר דבר אליו ה and Avram went like 'ה spoke to him , וילך אתו לוט and Lot went with him , ואברם בן חמש שנים ושבעים שנה בצאתו מחרן , and Avraham was seventy five years old when he left Charan.

The sefer זכרון מאיר asks why does it start telling us about Avraham, then switch to Lot & then go back to Avraham. Why not just tell us about Avraham & then go on & tell us about Lot?

He answers that the posuk is telling us the reason why Lot went with Avraham  וילך אתו לוט . Why? Because ואברם בן חמש שנים ושבעים שנה Avraham was already an older man & had no children. Lot figured if he stays close to him then he'll be able to inherit so he really just went for the money. That's why when the first challenge came up, he failed.

Lot is showing us that even though one’s actions might be good if his intentions aren't pure, the chances of success are slim. conversely when one does purify his heart success is guaranteed.
Tonight is the first yahrtzeit of Dani King and Eli Schonbrun who personified this concept. They cleansed their hearts & minds & were focused on pursuing the path of Torah. Let's remember their lesson, perpetuate their legacy, and cleanse our hearts enabling us to attain the greatest heights!