Musar zu Tehillim 45:12

When G–d told him: לך לך, "Go forth for yourself," this meant that he was to embark on a mission that would lead him to still higher spiritual awareness and perfection. Bereshit Rabbah 39,1 describes this command in the following parable quoted by Rabbi Yitzchak. We read in Psalms 45,12: שמעי בת וראי, והטי אזנך ושכחי עמך ובית אביך, "Take heed, lass, and note, incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house." Rabbi Yitzchak says that the verse can be understood as addressing itself to a person who wanders from town to town until he comes to a town that is ablaze. He exclaims that people will say that city surely has no leader. Thereupon the owner of that town takes a look at the wanderer and identifies himself. Before G–d addressed him, Abraham believed the earth [as distinct from heaven Ed.] to be without a supervisor. This is why G–d appeared to him in order to teach him that the earth is supervised. The quotation from Psalms 45,11 continues with the words: ויתאו המלך יפיך כי הוא אדוניך והשתחוי לו, "and let the king be aroused by your beauty; since he is your lord, bow down to him." Thus far the parable quoted by Rabbi Yitzchak.