Vayeira Summaries
Vayeira 5770-2009"Hospitality at Its Finest"
Abraham speaks to his guests as if they are doing him a favor by accepting his hospitality. Can that be true?! Link to full |
Vayeira 5769-2008"Shalom Bayit, Little White Lies"
In parashat Vayeira, when Sarah learns that she is going to have a child at age 90 she laughs skeptically and says, “After I have withered shall I be fertile again, and my husband is old!” When G-d asks Abraham why Sarah has laughed, He omits Sarah’s disrespectful reference to Abraham, saying instead that Sarah referred to herself about being old. Why the change? Link to full |
Vayeira 5768-2007"Seeking Mitzvah Opportunities"
After the destruction of Sodom, Abraham moves from Hebron, where he had lived for 25 years, and resettles in the south, in a place called Gerar. The rabbis offer many reasons for Abraham’s move. The Yalkut May’am Lo’ez suggests that Jews have an obligation to look for mitzvah opportunities, which is exactly what Abraham did by relocating to the Negev. Link to full |
Vayeira 5767-2006"Choosing The Right Neighbors" |
Vayeira 5766-2005"Confronting Adversity, Lessons from Father Isaac" Especially when compared to the lives of the dynamic Abraham and Jacob, Isaac's life seems to be one of passivity and tragedy. And yet, with his unique ability to arise boldly from challenge and emerge from darkness, Isaac's life serves as a most valued example to his progeny. It is the model of Isaac, that most closely parallels the history of the Jewish people. Link to full |
Vayeira 5765-2004"The Benefit of Broad-heartedness " According to tradition, G-d remembers Sarah, who miraculously gives birth to Isaac in her old age, because Abraham prayed in a special way. It is broad-hearted prayer, where we pray for others aside from ourselves, that is most efficacious. Link to full |
Vayeira 5764-2003"The Mitzvah of Bikur Cholim--Visiting the Sick" The directive to cling to G-d, entails that mortals follow G-d's ways. In this parasha, the Al-mughty pays a visit to an ailing Abraham, and thus introduces the practice of visiting the sick. This commandment is more intricate than it appears at first glance, and the reward associated with it, is often beyond comprehension. Link to full |
Vayeira 5763-2002 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in Sodom? Both the biblical texts and the accompanying Midrashic literature vividly describe the extraordinary evil practiced by people of Sodom, where virtue was declared vice and vice, virtue. Unfortunately, there are elements of Sodom that may be found in aspects of our contemporary society as well. If we are to protect ourselves from these harmful influences, we need to be on the alert and learn to identify those evil aspects. |
Vayeira 5762-2001 The binding of Isaac, known as the “Akeida,” is one of the most noted and influential portions of the Bible, and one of the most enigmatic. The Akeida proclaimed a new and vital message to the world, boldly rejecting the abominable practice of child sacrifice, that was rife among the ancient people--and usually performed in the name of the pagan deity. |
Vayeira 5761-2000 The place where G-d tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac is known as Mount Moriah. This place, located in the heart of Jerusalem, is where the Temple was eventually built. The Midrash teaches that G-d selected Mount Moriah as the place for Jewish worship because of the brotherly love and devotion practiced there. If we are to re-acquire Mount Moriah, it can only be done through the practice of fraternity and love. |
Vayeira 5760-1999 The 99 year old Abraham is recovering from his recent circumcision, when he sees potential guests on the horizon. Despite his pain, he quickly runs towards the wayfarers, and begs them not to pass by his tent without accepting his hospitality. There is much to learn from Abraham’s manner of welcoming guests. |