Torah: Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24) Haftarah: (II Kings 4:1-37)
This Shabbat has the Torah parsha of Abraham greeting three visiting strangers and he shows them hospitality. Abraham also intercedes for the city of Sodom, but is unsuccessful. Lot, Abraham’s nephew escapes the destruction, but his wife turns into a pillar of salt. Alliance between Abraham and Avimelech. Issac is born to Abraham and Sarah. Sarah asks Abraham to send Ishmael away due to his bad behaviour and influence on Isaac. Abraham is tested by G-d, asked to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac.
The elections are coming and one views “Justice” and other “Ethical” qualities of individuals, but the Torah has a basis for all the other qualities. The virtue of compassion also ranks very high in the scale of Jewish values. In this Torah portion Abraham challenges G-d’s justice, hoping to convince G-d not to destroy the Sodomites if enough righteous people can be found. G-d says that He will not destroy the city for the sake of ten persons. (Abraham started with 50 and agreed to ten). The number ten has become the minimum number of persons to constitute a community, and thus a minyan for purposes of worship consists of ten persons. When Moses sent 12 spies to report about the Promised Land, if they could conquer the inhabitants, only 2 felt that the Israelites could. The ten others represented the number of the community and thus the Israelites wandered for 40 years until the people with the slave mentality died.
One may see from this Torah portion that individuals have the freedom to question what G-d does, although people will have to submit to G-d’s judgement in the end. Justice and ethical behavior are mitzvot (good deeds or righteous actions). However does the end justify the means?
Upcoming Happenings and events…
KRISTALLNACHT November 9 &10, 1938 was the beginning of the Holocaust. The night of broken glass…Facts: 91 Jews murdered, over 1100 synagogues set ablaze and/
or destroyed,7500 Jewish businesses and homes vandalized and burned, 30,000 Jews
arrested and sent to concentration camps. You may light Yahrzeit candles in memory.
St. George Crop Walk (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) This is sponsored by the St. George Interfaith Council. Saturday, November 13, 202, 10AM
AT Larkspur Park, Bloomington Hills,
Corner of Fort Pierce Dr. & Larkspur Road. I usually walk part of this walk, if you wish to join me. Also, Rev. Ralph Clingon is the person overseeing this event to raise funds and Beit Chaverim use his Education Building at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church.
If you do not wish to join the walk, you may make a donation for this Mitzvah of feeding the hungry at www.cropwalkonline.org. *Make sure it is for the St. George Crop Walk. Some of the money raised supplies food here in ST. George and around the world to train people for farming, beekeeping and more.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Helene Ainbinder
