Friday 6 November 2020 - 19 Cheshvan 5781
Sedra Vayera HOSPITALITY - IN 2020?
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BRAHAM, RECOVERING FROM CIRCUMCISION AT THE AGE OF 99 YEARS, was sitting at the door of the tent, scanning the horizon for visitors. This is how the Sedral begins, amplified by the teachings of the Sages. The first Jew in history wanted guests in his home, people to look after and feed, despite the burning heat of the midday Israeli sun and the need for rest after an operation. This passage, read in the Torah year by year, impresses on us the power of the Jewish ideal of hospitality. An explanation by the Sages of the opening lines of the Sedra indicates even more the importance of hospitality in Jewish thought. The Torah states that “G-d appeared to Abraham”, and that then “he saw three men standing”. The three men were actually angels, but Abraham thought they were men. Abraham says “My Master, please do not pass on from your servant”, and then he occupies himself with looking after the three men. There are a number of different ways of interpreting this sequence. Rashi, the most famous of commentators on the Torah, explains it as follows. Even though G-d Himself was revealed to Abraham at that moment, when three men came on the scene who needed ordinary practical hospitality, something to eat, Abraham gave up the Divine revelation in order to attend to their needs. His words “please do not pass on from your servant” were addressed to G-d2. He was asking G-d to wait for him whilst he sees to the visitors! In Loving Memory of Mrs Jeanne Gewolb-Sostrin (Yenta bas Devora) ע“ה- 15 Tevet 5772 Dedicated by her son Dr Roger Gewolb 'שי JUDAISM FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD cru@lubavitchuk.com - www.chabadresearch.net
From here we learn, says the Talmud3, that “hospitality to guests is greater than receiving the Divine presence”. This is most remarkable. What can be greater than experiencing a revelation of G-d? Surely Abraham should have just ignored the travellers and concentrated on the Divine? This incident emphasises the idea that there are two approaches to serving G-d. One is a preoccupation with G-d Himself, with total devotion to prayer and study of Torah, to the exclusion of all worldly matters. The other is having a deep relationship with G‑d, but also maintaining involvement with the world in general and with other human beings, with the ultimate aim of bringing them closer to G-d4. We see from this story that Abraham understood that the service of G-d involves both elements. He was utterly devoted to G-d, but at the same time he did not shun the world nor just tolerate it as a diversion from his prayer and study. Instead he felt that his task was also to relate closely with others. One important effect of this was that through coming in contact with Abraham they too began to share his new belief in One G-d, the Creator of All. An important message from this event is the importance of hospitality. The Torah describes how Abraham and Sarah went to great effort to look after their guests. Having guests at one’s Shabbat table is an important part of Jewish tradition. The Zohar even tells us that the guest at one’s table expresses the Divine Presence! In this exceptional year, for the most part, we are not able to have guests. We cannot be hospitable in simple literal terms. Nonetheless, we are Abraham's children and our job is to follow his example. Let us try to compensate, before or after Shabbat, by making a phone call or sending a message to someone who would welcome it. Somewhere there is a heart which is waiting to be warmed! 1. Genesis chs.18-22. 2. Rashi also gives another explanation that these words were addressed to the travellers, asking them to come in and enjoy his hospitality. Both interpretations emphasise how much Abraham was eager to look after his guests. 3. Talmud Shabbat 127a. 4. See the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichot vol.3 pp.765-8.
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SEDRA VAYERA THE TEST Loud sirens wailed as the ambulance rushed down the street overtaking cars and speeding through the traffic lights. Inside the ambulance sat ten year old Talia, biting her lip in pain, trying to stop herself from crying. Her mother stroked her long red hair comfortingly, and the nurse sat there taking her blood pressure and asking what seemed like a million questions. It had all happened so quickly. One second she had been standing on a chair getting the pancake machine down from a high cupboard and the next she was on the floor, holding her right foot, screaming in pain. An hour and a half, and a cast later, it was confirmed. Talia had broken her right foot. “It’s a bit tricky, so you’ll have to wear this cast for eight weeks and you’ll receive a pair of crutches to walk with,” the nurse explained to Talia kindly. As Talia heard the words, ‘eight weeks’, she was hit with a sudden realisation. “The wedding!” she called out in disappointment. Hot tears started trickling down her cheek as Talia remembered that her family were hoping that her sister's wedding would take place in five weeks’ time, after the end of the second lockdown. They were hoping they would be able to have a small wedding with social distancing. But if the cast would be on her foot for eight weeks, she might still be on crutches! Talia’s mother gave her a tight hug and rubbed her shoulder. “Oh Talia darling, don’t worry about that. No-one knows what is going to happen with lockdown, anyway.”
Talia continued to sob. She had been looking forward to her older sister Sarah’s wedding for so long, hoping that despite social distancing there would be a little bit of dancing, to make her sister happy. And now she might barely be able to walk, let alone dance! The nurse clucked sympathetically, motioning that she would let them have some privacy and shut the curtain. When it was just them two in the room, Talia turned to her mother upset. “Why? Why me? Why now? Before Sarah’s wedding! Why?” “My darling, I know! You must be so upset. I don't know why this happened to you, but I do know G-d tests those that He loves very much.” Her mother gave her a tight hug. Talia calmed down. After all, the lockdown might go on and on.. Poor Sarah, she thought, and her nice fiancé, not really knowing what would happen. Then she turned to her mother questioningly. “What did you mean before when you said, G-d tests those that he loves very much?” “It’s simple! We learned it from this week's Sedra Vayera! Abraham was a very special man who loved G‑d very much, and G-d loved him. But in this Sedra G‑d sends Abraham a very difficult test: He commands him to bring his son Isaac as a sacrifice! Abraham doesn’t cry or complain, he takes Isaac and they go to Mount Moriah. There, Isaac himself doesn’t complain and lets his father tie his hands and feet and put him on the altar. At that point an angel stops Abraham and he is told that this was only a test, so Abraham sacrifices a ram instead ”. “So you are saying that G-d really loved Abraham but was just testing him. And you are also saying that the harder the test the higher the love!” Talia exclaimed. “Exactly!” Talia’s mother said. “So G-d must love you very much!” Torah teachings are holy – please treat this page with care