Before I went to Jerusalem, my friend Barbara Kadden asked me if there was a verse from the Tanach that was particularly dear to me. If someone asked you to pick one verse, which one would it be?

I chose a portion of Genesis 12:1 -- "Go, you, from your land, from the place of your birth, and from the house of your father to the land which I shall show you." Barbara made a quilted wall hanging for me in purples and gold with the verse emblazoned in Hebrew. It hangs next to my desk.

If I were to paraphrase the line today, I might write this:

"Go, you, from what is familiar, from the boundaries of your comfort zone, from the place where you are safe and secure, and I'll let you know what to do next."

It still works.