“.. They set out for the land of Canaan, and came to the land of Canaan.”
In 12:1 God never said He would direct Avraham where to go. God said “Go to the land I will show you”. Meaning, Avraham would only know that he went to the right place once God appeared to him at that place.
This begs the question, how did Avraham know in which direction to head out? Why did he choose to head to the land of Canaan?
Even though the land was inhabited by the descendants of Canaan, the most corrupt of Noach’s sons, there was still much potential for good in this land. Malki Tzedek (according to our tradition the same person as Shem, the son of Noach) was still alive and lived in this land. There were some others who learned from Shem there as well, and so this was a place where one could still find some inhabitants who had an awareness of God.
In addition, our tradition teaches that on Mount Moriah, Hevel the son of Adam brought his offering, as did Noach when he left the ark. Later it was on this same mountain that Avraham’s greatest test would take place, the Akeida. And later the Temple stood there, the place where man is constantly reborn spiritually and morally – at the same place where God gathered the dust to form Adam.
Beraishis 12:5
pages 295-298
