Readiness to hear Hashem's call
Lech Lecha · Avraham · listening · awakening · readiness
רמב"ן הקשה שנאמר לך לך בלי שנזכר מקודם חיבתו.
The Ramban raised a difficulty: "Lech Lecha" was said without any prior mention of Avraham's worthiness having first been recorded.
The Torah commands Avraham to leave his land with no preface explaining why he, of all people, was chosen — the Ramban asks why Scripture omits his merits beforehand.
ובזוה"ק נראה כי זה עצמו השבח ששמע זה המאמר לך לך שנאמר מהשי"ת לכל האנשים תמיד כמ"ש וי לאינון דשינתא בחוריהון ואאע"ה שמע וקיבל.
From the Zohar Hakadosh it appears that this itself was Avraham's praise — that he heard this call of "Lech Lecha," which Hashem proclaims constantly to every person, as it is written, "Woe to those who sleep in their holes," and Avraham Avinu heard it and accepted it.
The Divine call to "go forth" is always being sounded to all people, but most are spiritually asleep and deaf to it; Avraham's greatness was simply that he was awake and listened.
וממילא נקרא רק הדיבור אליו כי הלא לא נמצא מיוחד לשמוע.
Consequently the call is described as being addressed to him alone, since no one else was found ready to hear it.
Because Avraham was the only one who actually received the message, the Torah speaks as though it were spoken to him personally — not because the call was exclusive, but because he was the only listener.
רק הוא אבל בודאי זה השבח בעצמו שהי' מוכן לקבל המאמר:
Only he — but surely this readiness itself, that he was prepared to receive the call, was his very praise.
The merit the Ramban sought is the readiness itself: Avraham's worthiness was precisely his openness and willingness to accept Hashem's word.
Summary: The Ramban's question — why the Torah records no merit before commanding Avraham — is answered by the Zohar: Hashem's call of "Lech Lecha" goes out to everyone always, and Avraham's greatness was simply that, unlike a sleeping world, he was awake, heard it, and accepted it. That readiness to receive is itself the praise the Torah leaves unstated.