Lech Lecha: Sophie's Choice

Lech Lecha: Sophie's Choice

There are 2 lecha parshioth: Lech Lecha and Shlach Lecha.  A Rashi on  the phrase Shlach Lecha says 

שלח לך: לדעתך, אני איני מצוה לך, אם תרצה שלח, לפי שבאו ישראל ואמרו 

Send for yourself: According to your own understanding. I am not commanding you, but if you wish, you may send. Since the Israelites had come [to Moses] 

The first Rashi in  Lech Lehca : 

וַ
Go forth: Heb. לֶךְ לְךָ, lit. go to you, for your benefit and for your good, and there I will make you into a great nation, but here, you will not merit to have children. Moreover, I will make your character known in the world. — [from Rosh Hashanah 16b, Tan.]		לך לך: להנאתך ולטובתך, ושם אעשך לגוי גדול, וכאן אי אתה זוכה לבנים. ועוד שאודיע טבעך בעולם:

Although the consequences are different,  censure for Moshe and praise for Avra(ha)m, there is no contradiction.  Lecha means that the actor was convinced to  act, for good or for ill. There was some (illusion of ) choice.  Gd did not do the sending or going.  

In the covenant between the parts, Gd tells Avra(ha)m that  it was Gd that took Avra(ha)m out of Ur Casdim.  Thus, Gd is taking responsibility for migrations that were instigated by Avra(ha)m's father.  I think that this reveals that Avra(ha)m's travel into Canaan was  his own choice. (this is a Talmudic style argument)

Once in Canaan, confronted with a famine,  Avra(ha)m seems to have 3 choices: starve, die, or compromise his wife.   That choice becomes a model for the slaves freed from Egypt and scores of generations of persecuted Jews through the ages: take back the captured wife. 

After all his troubles, it seems that Avra(ha)m has earned the right to ask Gd for an heir. How strange that Avra(ha)m is answered with a prophecy that these precious, promised descendants will be slaves for 400 years!  Does the prophecy of ill add credence to the doubtful prophecy of good?  

Ishmael is the new plan, adoption. Avra(ha)m and Sarai will adopt a slave child  and raise him Orthodox,  Great plan, nurture overcomes  nature.  But his mother, Hagar,  is too attached to the child. Note the parallels with Moshe, the adopted child of (the daughter of) Pharaoh. 

Perhaps the Lecha implies adventure.  Just do it.  But, in the end you know there will be some impossible choices.