4: Vayera
Welcome to TLDR Torah: a synopsis of the weekly parsha based on Robert Alter’s translation, plus a question to spur your Shabbat dinner (or any!) conversation.
Parsha Vayera (Genesis 18:1 - 22:24)
TLDR:
Abraham, sitting outside his tent, suddenly sees three men. He runs out to them to offer food and water, then hurries to make them an entire meal. If only we still had that type of service in NYC kosher restaurants.
The visitors share that Sarah will give birth to a boy. Sarah skeptically laughs.
God debates internally whether he should share with Abraham that he is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He does, but he doesn’t give a specific reason.
And the negotiation commences! How far will God take collective punishment (and forgiveness)? Abraham argues the cities should be saved on account of innocent people. Abraham anchors too high at 50 innocents, then goes to 45, 40, 30 (this is not how negotiations usually work…), 20, and 10.
Two of the three visiting men enter Sodom (where is the third one??). Deja vu all over again. This time Lot, Abraham’s nephew, does the welcoming.
The people of Sodom try to rape the visitors. Lot shockingly counteroffers his two daughters. The people turn violent and try to force open Lot’s home. Lot, his wife and two daughters flee. God destroys the cities with brimstone and fire. Lot’s wife looks back and turns into a pillar of salt.
Hiding in a cave, Lot’s two daughters get Lot drunk and sleep with him (on two separate nights) to keep his “seed” alive. They conceive two sons, thoughtfully named Moab (“from my father”) and Ben-Ammi (“my own kinsman’s son”).
We have another sister-wife story: Abraham visits a foreign place (this time Gerar, not Egypt) and lies that Sarah is his sister and not his wife.
Sarah conceives a son, Isaac, and gets Abraham to kick out Hagar and Ishmael. Desperate for help, God rescues them and promises Ishmael a great nation.
Finally, we have the the Akedah. God commands Abraham to offer Isaac up as a sacrifice. In the nick of time, God stops him and he sacrifices a ram instead.
Question:
This parsha is action-packed. Each story raises a litany of questions. How do you treat guests? How do you treat the innocent among the guilty? Can you save someone “bad” through someone else’s “merit” (i.e. why was Lot saved?)? When is a white lie ok? Why does Abraham jump to defend Sodom and Gomorrah but is ready to kill his (presumably) innocent son? Feel free to get philosophical, but this week the question is “Which of these stories gives the most meaning to you and why?”