Parshas Vayeira: Selfishness on Trial

This week’s Torah portion, Vayeira: Bereishit (Genesis) 18:1 - 22:24, includes the destruction of Sodom and Gemorrah, the birth of Isaac, the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael, and the binding of Isaac. It chronicles the astounding spiritual growth in the life of Abraham, who serves as the prototype of absolute unselfishness, absolute purity, and absolute lovingkindness attainable by a human being.

Abraham, A Righteous Man

Vayeira opens at the holy site of Mamre, where 99 year old Abraham convalesces from his circumcision three days ago. Abraham enjoys the unique experience of a visit from the Almighty, but excuses himself to offer hospitality to three travelers who appear suddenly. Abraham's natural impulse to sacrifice spiritual elation in order to  serve others demonstrates his absolute unselfishness and purity. Truly remarkable!

Unfazed by Abraham’s quick departure, God loves him more than ever. In Genesis 18:18-19, He says, “…I love Abraham so much that I have promised him that he will surely become a great and mighty nation, and through him all the nations of the world will be blessed. I have promised him these blessings for I cherish him, and I cherish him because he instructs his children and his household after him to keep God’s ways by acting with righteousness and justice so that they will earn My blessings.”

The travelers turn out to be angels masquerading as men. One of them promises they will return next year to welcome the birth of a son born to Sarah and Abraham. Sarah laughs at this impossible prediction. However, she looks forward to the happy occasion.

So Sad Sodom

The cities of Sodom and Gemorrah  have decompensated from affluence to decadence to  wickedness. Most notably, selfishness is celebrated. In these cities, helping someone in need is a criminal offense. Charity and self sacrifice is punishable by the death penalty. Plotit, one of Lot's daughters, is executed for giving food and water to a destitute resident. 

The victims of these heinous crimes cry out to God. He hears them and decides to destroy Sodom and Gemorrah, as well as three neighboring towns, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. The visitors tell Abraham of their plan to go Sodom to save Lot and his family before the onset of a devastating storm of lightening strikes that ignite lethal fires and burning sulfur.

Abraham worries that any righteous people left in these cities will perish along with the wicked. He pleads with God to spare the cities if only a few righteous people live there. Not even 10 can be identified. The plan moves forward.

The angels visit Lot. That evening, when a huge rape gang threatens to invade his house to abduct them, Lot offers to substitute his two remaining daughters. The angels stop this injudicious action by blinding the mobsters. Next morning as the storm begins, the angels hurry Lot, his wife and his daughters out of the city, warning them to flee to the mountains and to not look back towards the burning city.

Lot's wife defies the directions. She looks back, recalling the material pleasures she enjoys and must now abandon. She dies on the spot. Although Lot has secured a promise from the angels that the town of Zoar will be spared and so provide sanctuary for his family, he thinks it better to safeguard his daughters in a cave far above the city.

Isolated in the cave, Lot and his daughters think they are the only humans left on earth. The daughters assume responsibility for re-establishing the human race by drowning Lot’s inhibitions in alcohol and seducing him. They each produce a son. These boys will grow up to establish two of the Canaanite tribes, Moab and Ammon, destined to cross paths with the Israelites as they enter the Holy Land.

Family Matters

While traveling south into Gerar, Abraham poses as Sarah's brother so that King Abimelech will not murder him when he will doubtlessly want Sarah for his own. God appears to the King in a dream, telling him to release Sarah to her husband or face death and widespread infertility among his people and flocks.

King Abimelech gladly agrees, He not only returns Sarah, he lavishes the couple with valuable food animals and many servants. Abraham returns the favors by praying efficaciously to God to bless and heal the King and his people. 

Water wells are essential elements in the lives of these desert dwelling people. A dispute between Abraham and Abimelech over a well in Beersheba is resolved with a covenant of peace between the two men. This peace treaty provides safe haven in Canaan for Abraham to grow his family, eventually becoming a life affirming, morally centered nation that revolutionizes humankind through example.

As promised, Abraham and Sarah produce a son, Isaac. All is well for a while. As Isaac grows, resentments also grow between Hagar, her teenage son, Ishmael, Sarah and Abraham. Relationships become strained. To preserve domestic tranquillity and protect Isaac from negative influences, Sarah insists that Hagar and Ishmael must leave the home. God saves Ishmael from dying of dehydration. Mother and son survive. Ishmael becomes the progenitor of the Arab nation.

Child Sacrifice Repudiated

When Isaac turns 38 years old, his father passes the ultimate spiritual test of faith and surrender to God when he obeys His order to build an altar on which he will sacrifice his precious son, Isaac.

After over 100 years of experiencing God's blessings, Abraham trusts the Almighty completely and so he builds an altar on Mt Moriah. An angel intervenes, staying the deed just as Abraham raises the knife by providing a ram as a substitute sacrifice. Isaac lives. 

This event is a test of Abraham's allegiance to the Almighty will. God detests child sacrifice and later codifies the prohibition of it in Torah.  Abraham's unconditional surrender to God's will merits his place as the patriarch of a holy nation through which all the nations of the world will be blessed. 

We learn of Rebecca, Isaac's future wife, in this reading. She is one of many siblings born to Nahor, Abraham's brother and his wife, Milcah. Isaac and Rebecca will bear Jacob, who will produce 12 sons, the last being Benjamin, second son of the love of his life, Rachel. 

More Miracles and Births

Our Haftorah portion this week, Melachim II (II Kings) 4:1-37, highlights another miraculous birth of a son to an elderly barren woman. Approximately 800 years after Isaac is born, the prophet Elisha promises an elderly married couple a baby and they conceive and give birth to a son. The toddler dies suddenly from a neurological event and Elisha restores his life.

In this Kings portion, Elisha also helps a widow avoid indenturing her sons to pay her debts. He miraculously changes the widow's one little vial of oil into lots of the valuable commodity. The widow sells the oil and pays off her debt. 

Unselfish Actions Save Innocent Lives

The prophet, Elisha, and our patriarch, Abraham, give their time and resources to promote and save life. Killing is not in the minds of these righteous men, nor should it be in ours. When godliness fills our minds, we can think and act only for life. When selfishness fills out minded, we think and act against life.

Lot, a good family man with a fine reputation, is not immune to corrupting social influences and situational ethics. He decides to sacrifice his daughters to a rape gang in order to save himself. Secular thinking, no matter how well intentioned, can turn deadly when used to justify harming innocent people in the pursuit of ‘saving lives’, ’alleviating suffering’, or ‘saving the planet.’

Just as God hears the cries of the innocent victims in Sodom, so He hears the death screams of millions of aborted babies whose lives are sacrificed on the alter of self interest, fear, and moral confusion. We can look inward and pray to Heaven above for the unselfishness, purity and kindness to do what God calls us to do to save them.

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Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.

Cecily Routman is the founder and president of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation. She opposes abortion homicide in general and among Jews in particular and laments secular policy making in Israel that results in loss of Jewish life and delays the messianic redemption. Cecily envisions a Torah based holy Land of Israel and a world that respects the life of every human being from conception.

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