“God appeared to Abraham in Elonei Mamrei, as he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.” The eighteenth chapter of Bereishit is structurally difficult to understand. It can be divided into three parts: 1. God appears to Abraham as he is sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the…
The Parsha in a Nutshell God appears to Avraham. Three strangers pass by. Avraham offers them hospitality. One of them tells Avraham that Sarah will have a child. Sarah, overhearing, laughs in disbelief. God then tells Avraham of His plan to punish the people of Sodom. Avraham enters into an unprecedented discussion with God about justice, demanding He take into…
It is one of the most famous scenes in the Bible. Abraham is sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day when three strangers pass by. He urges them to rest and take some food. The text calls them men. They are in fact angels, coming to tell Sarah that she will have a child….
The Parsha in a Nutshell In this week’s parsha three strangers pass by Avraham’s tent. What Avraham and Sarah do not know is that they are in fact angels. Avraham offers them food and a place to rest. One of them tells Avraham that Sarah will have a baby, and Sarah, who is listening in, laughs because she believes she…
…if you’re chosen. But what about all the people there who aren’t chosen, right? Listen. Let me ask you a very simple question. We’ll do this very quickly. Here is a scene. Sarah has asked Abraham to send Hagar away. Abraham gets terribly upset because Hagar has given birth to his child called Ishmael. Vayera hadavar me’od be’aynei Avraham al…
…difference not as a threat but as an enlarging, possibility-creating gift. LECH LECHA: Follow the inner voice, as did those who came before you, continuing their journey by bringing timeless values to a rapidly-changing world. VAYERA: First separate, then connect; it is the carefully calibrated distance that allows us to grow as individuals and create stronger relationships together. CHAYEI SARAH:…
…to Cain – Learning to live with guilt 26 October 2022 – Noach Rabbi Shai Finkelstein: Hope and disappointment 2 November 2022 – Lech Lecha Dr Tanya White: Avraham and the burning palace – The problem of evil 9 November 2022 – Vayera Gila Sacks: On protests and parenthood 16 November 2022 – Chayei Sara Rabbi Dr Daniel Rose: The…
…but without the widespread diffusion of responsibility they are undeliverable. The Home We Build Together, p. 144 Be a leader. Walk ahead. Take personal responsibility. Take moral responsibility. Take collective responsibility. Judaism is God’s call to responsibility. Answering the Call (Vayera, Lessons in Leadership, Covenant & Conversation) The responsible life is a life that responds. The Hebrew for responsibility, achrayut,…
…Abraham was not a conventional leader. He did not rule a nation. There was as yet no nation for him to lead. But he was the role model of leadership as Judaism understands it. He took responsibility. He acted; he did not wait for others to act. Vayera: Answering the Call Leaders see the destination, begin the journey, and leave…
…love to be like sunlight to a flower, not like a tree to the plants that grow beneath. The role of love, human and Divine, is, in the lovely phrase of Irish poet John O’Donohue, “to bless the space between us”. To Bless the Space Between Us – Covenant & Conversation, Vayera Core Questions Why do you think we often…