In this aliyah, we follow Avram and Sarai as they descend into Mitzrayim due to the heavy famine in Eretz Yisrael. Avram, anticipating the moral depravity of the Mitzrim, asks Sarai to present herself as his sister to protect his life. Upon their arrival, the Mitzrim indeed notice Sarai's exceptional beauty, and she is quickly taken to the palace of Pharaoh, while Avram is showered with wealth and livestock on her account.
However, Hashem does not abandon Sarai in her distress. The aliyah describes how Hashem intervenes directly, striking Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues. This divine retribution forces Pharaoh to realize the truth, leading to a sharp confrontation with Avram and their eventual departure from Mitzrayim, laden with great wealth, as they journey back toward the place of the altar in Bethel.
The aliyah traces the dramatic sequence of Avram's descent to Mitzrayim, where Sarai is taken to Pharaoh's palace, prompting Hashem to strike Pharaoh with powerful plagues. Recognizing the divine hand protecting Sarai, Pharaoh confronts Avram for concealing that she was his wife, quickly sends them away with all their newly acquired wealth, and Avram returns to the place of his original altar between Bethel and Ai to call upon the name of Hashem.
The Torah is telling us that when Avram Avinu returned from the darkness of Egypt, he did not get carried away by his newfound wealth. The pasuk says he went back to the very same places he had been before, "to the place where his tent had been formerly... to the site of the altar that he had built there at first." Lichoira, now that he was "very rich in cattle, silver, and gold," he could have upgraded his lifestyle or looked for a more prestigious place to settle. But the Tanna is teaching us that Avram's first priority was to return to his spiritual roots, to the place where he first built his mizbeach and called out in the name of Hashem.
This is a tremendous yesod for our own avodas Hashem. Sometimes we go through a period of change, whether it is a financial success, a new job, or just a busy season in life that temporarily pulls us away from our regular learning and davening. The yetzer hara tries to convince us that we have outgrown our old, simple spiritual routines. But the true ratzon of Hashem is that we must return to our "altar at first", to the basic, solid spiritual foundations that kept us connected in the first place.
When Hashem blesses you with success or brings you out of a challenging situation, do not let the new circumstances distract you from your core spiritual habits. Make it your business today to return to a simple, foundational spiritual practice that you used to do with excitement, whether it is a specific shiur, a set time for learning, or davening with the same simple kavanah you had years ago.