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Parashat
VaYera “And He appeared”
23 October
2010
Genesis
18:1-22:24
2 Kings
4:1-37
2
Peter/Kefa 2:4-11
Short
Summery
1. Avraham
while seating in the heat of the day receives three visitors (Malachim)
“angels” (18:1-15).
2. Avraham
pleads for Sodom, (18:16-33).
3.
Destruction of Sodom, including the death of Lot’s wife by turning into
a pillar of salt, (19:1-29).
4. Lot and
his daughters, (19:30-38).
5. Avraham
in G’rar and its king, Avimelch, (20).
6. Birth
of Yitzhak (Isaac) and the exile of Hagar and Yishma’el, (21:-22).
7.
Covenant with the King and his general of G’rar, (21:22-34).
8. Akedah
(binding of Yitzhak), (22:1-19).
9. Birth
of Rivkah (Rebecca), (22:20-24).
One
tradition that grew out of this portion is that a quorum of ten must be
in Synagogue before prayer begins. Another is that of visiting the sick
(Bikkur Cholim).
Some
themes found in this portion are resting, serving, being hospitable to
strangers and family, listening to HaShem’s voice and believing that He
can do miracles “is anything hard for the L-rd?” Interceding for others
and finally being faithful in obedience to HaShem, despite not even
knowing why He asks before revealing His will to us, is another theme.
In Deut.
28:3 it states, “Blessed
shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.” A
number of years ago I read an article in which it stated, don’t be “a
Tzaddik (righteous) in a fur coat”, rather, your goodness should
influence your surroundings, in the “city” and in the “field.” In other
words, there are two ways to get warm on a cold day, build a fire, which
warms everyone else in the room as well, or wrap yourself in furs, which
conserves your own warmth but does not generate any heat or warm anyone
else. Thus religious Jews refer to a righteous person whose only concern
is with his own righteousness as “a Tzaddik in a fur coat.”
In
Avraham we see a man who HaShem called, “my friend” (Isaiah 41:8; 2
Chron.20:7; James 2:23), and a servant with whom HaShem shared His
secrets. Lot had been rescued by Avraham’s intervention in chapter 14;
and now he would be rescued by Avraham’s intercession. Avraham prayed
for the city on the basis of the justice of HaShem, but HaShem saved Lot
on the basis of His mercy and grace. As we can see here in the Torah,
Avraham follows the mitzvah (commandment) which states
“Love
the Lord your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength, the second is this, love your
neighbor as yourself, there is no commandment greater than these"
(Lev.19:18; Mark 12:30-31).
Also, in
Rom.13:8-10, Shaul tells us “Do not owe anyone anything, except to love
one another.” In the Epistles, brotherly love appears in Heb.13:1-2
which connects it with “hospitality to strangers.” 1Peter 1:22 and 2
Peter 1:7 show us virtues which we all should strive for.
Yeshua
gave us the commandment to love one another as well as loving the
stranger, as told in the Torah and shown by Avraham as he was hospitable
to strangers and interceded for family. We must seek the heart of HaShem
for justice and mercy, just as Avraham did for Sodom. We, as servants of
Messiah and children of Avraham, need to follow his example of feeding
the hungry, visiting the sick and caring for the stranger. (Math.
25:35-40)
Shavua Tov
Rabbi Z.
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