When Avram arrives in Canaan, the Torah notes: “Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, at the Terebinth of Moreh; and the Canaanites were then in the land” (Genesis 12:6). Rather than settling or claiming a stake, Abram “passes through,” journeying as a visitor rather than an owner. This action frames his relationship to the land as one of humility and trust—he is not conquering, but traversing, open to what God will reveal.
In verses 7 and 8, God appears and promises, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7). Instead of seizing territory, Abram responds by building altars—not as monuments to his own achievement, but as sites of worship and gratitude. He builds one at Shechem after the promise and another between Bethel and Ai, “invoking the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8). This pattern is striking: confronted by promise, Abram’s instinct is not to settle political authority, but to mark sacred presence. His altars are acts of hope and dedication, trusting in God’s promise even amid the uncertainty of foreign occupation.
These verses teach that spiritual journeys often begin not with possession, but with passage—moving through unfamiliar places, encountering challenges, and responding through acts of faith. Abram’s passing through embodies openness, and his building of altars models how we can ground our journeys in sacred practice rather than anxiety or control. In uncertain times, the Torah suggests, our response should be not to seize, but to sanctify—to travel with humility and gratitude, and to make room for God’s promise in the spaces where we dwell.
