Parshat Vayera; Genesis Chapter 18:1 – 22:24 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger
This week’s Torah portion Vayera has many familiar stories during the life of Abraham and Sarah. Not only is Isaac born but also the stories so familiar from the Rosh Hashanah Torah readings—the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham’s house and the near sacrifice of Isaac, known as the Akeda are found in the portion this week.
But at the beginning of the parasha, we find a story of Abraham’s welcome and courage. He becomes the model of Jewish values and behavior in the way he welcomes visitors to his tent. Abraham, newly circumcised rushes to welcome the three divine visitors who were standing near him. Abraham insists upon sharing his lodging and food and making them feel at home.
He demonstrates his fearlessness in welcoming strangers into his midst and sets the stage for the story that follows where an entire town will be destroyed for its lack of welcome and hospitality to strangers.
Abraham in the heat of the day rustles up food and drink and bathes the traveler’s feet. He does this without any promise of reward. He does it out of the kindness of his heart. Last week, God blessed Abraham with the covenant and the promise that he would be blameless if he walked in the ways of the covenant. Here Abraham demonstrates this to these strangers who just happen to be divine messengers.
How interesting it is then that as the stories of this week’s portion unfold, Abraham’s nephew Lot also welcomes the divine strangers into his home. This is in contrast to the people of Sodom who show hatred, contempt and violence toward the strangers that Lot has taken in. Ultimately the city of Sodom is destroyed not for wanting to “know” the strangers sexually but for not welcoming them and learning about them in the way Abraham came to know them.
Hospitality is an art. One makes a guest at home through care, attention and yes, concern. Abraham showed this and Lot tried to show it to the strangers who came to call. Lot protected the divine messengers from the riotous crowd. But he did so at the expense of his own family. Is the torah trying to tell us what the boundaries are in welcoming the guest?
As we reflect on this episode it has been two weeks since we took down our sukkot. During that holiday we are to explicitly welcome visitors and strangers to our sukkah. We even welcome our ancestral guests through the idea of Ushpizin. Lest we forget that this concept of hospitality is not only for a holiday this week’s parasha reminds us that it is the general rule for all days. We welcome the visitor, make them feel at home and invite the stranger to dwell among us. These we learn from the courage of Abraham.
Posted by Lee at November 14, 2005 08:56 AM
